Woolworths has confirmed it will pay the 2.5% minimum wage increase to employees from the first week of next month, avoiding a repeat of the dispute it had last year with retail unions over the timing of pay rises to workers in its supermarkets and Big W stores.
Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe has today added a new reason to his long list of why employers are not lifting wages - the "laser-like focus on costs" that has become the "predominant mindset" of many businesses.
The FWC has approved a 2.5% increase in all award rates in its minimum wage ruling handed down this afternoon and has again delayed rises for sectors most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The FWC's review of awards in sectors hammered by the pandemic is starting to introduce changes stymied by the withdrawal of much of the IR Omnibus Bill, according to former Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James.
ACTU leader Sally McManus has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison seeking four days paid leave and travel time to facilitate the rapid inoculation of the largely-unvaccinated private sector aged and disability care workforce.
An FWC full bench has upheld an AFAP rule change decision that will enable it to compete with AIPA to represent all Qantas mainline pilots, finding the competition will keep the Flying Kangaroo's "in-house" union "on their toes and honest".
Westpac has introduced special paid leave for employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations after the FSU wrote to financial institutions seeking two days' paid leave for all staff to get shots, while the Commonwealth Bank says it will also allow time off for the purpose.
The ROC is seeking external help with its investigation of inaccurate membership records kept by the AWU between 2009 and 2017, a Senate Estimates committee heard yesterday.
Aviation unions will this month ask the High Court to hear an appeal against Qantas's use of JobKeeper payments, on the same day that the ABCC will seek leave to challenge a full Federal Court finding on the nature of "industrial activity".
Unions representing workers at Alliance Airlines have raised doubts about whether the company can force workers to comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
