A Federal Court majority has slashed by more than 65% penalties imposed on a government-owned organisation for breaching agreement obligations, finding them "manifestly excessive".
A FWC full bench has marked the conclusion of the eight-year-long review of modern awards by seeking to rebut persistent claims that they are too complex for employers, observing that while "unpacking" clauses might add to their length, it has also provided greater clarity.
In a detailed examination of a major government department's early response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Court has rejected union claims that a hastily-conceived working from home policy breached existing arrangements and consultation requirements.
RAFFWU says that despite initially challenging the approval of an independent bookseller's agreement, it will be celebrating the result for members set to benefit from a "far superior" wage structure and some of the strongest conditions in retail.
The FWC has resisted union objections to approval of a coal mining deal, accepting an undertaking that the employer would convert a "significant majority" of casual workers to full-time if it wins a tender at a BHP subsidiary.
The FWC has refused to issue interim orders stopping Yarra Trams from introducing an overhauled rostering system that was months in the making and designed to accommodate the Spring Racing Carnival, while complying with stricter fatigue management rules.
A FWC full bench has concluded that part-day public holidays schedules rapidly inserted into more than 100 awards a decade ago serve no practical purpose, giving parties until October 21 to argue why they should not be deleted.
The FWC has refused to approve an agreement after a dairy company's "well intentioned" initiative to allow early absentee voting brought forward the access period to a week before they could view a copy of the proposed deal or were told when, where and how to vote.
The FWC has held that resource giant South32 unfairly treated some workers it directed to isolate and get tested after identifying them as COVID-19 contacts, ordering it to recredit annual leave, deduct sick leave and pay them for other times as though they were at work.
The CFMMEU's mining division has asked the FWC to intervene after almost two years of fruitless bargaining for enterprise agreements covering internal labour hire companies run by BHP's Operations Services.
