Unprotected industrial action undermines collective negotiations because it is "directly contrary" to the Fair Work Act's bargaining regime, Deputy President Gerard Boyce has held in his reasons for finding the UWU's "unlawful" picketing of Woolworths distribution centres breached its good faith bargaining obligations.
Rail unions are urgently seeking renewed authorisation for festive season protected action at Sydney Trains and NSW Trains, after the Federal Court last night acceded to the employers' bid to temporarily declare unlawful bans to take effect this morning.
A massage business and its director must pay more than $2 million in fines and compensation after significantly short-changing temporary visa workers, subjecting them to a "cashback" scheme and threatening to kill their families if they blew the whistle.
In a matter closely examining when building workers can down tools in response to potential safety risks, a court has found that two union officials breached workplace laws when involved in effectively shutting down a major construction site over concerns about a fire hydrant and a belligerent project manager said to pose a "psycho-social hazard".
The UFU's Victorian branch has won the first round of Federal Court proceedings in which it alleges a senior State Labor minister engaged in coercive conduct while intervening in a case before the FWC.
A full Federal Court has more than halved fines imposed on the CFMMEU for picketing a crane company over a sacked delegate, while also binning orders requiring the delegate to personally pay a $3500 penalty despite it not being part of the case against him.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has initiated legal action against the University of Melbourne, alleging it coerced and took adverse action against two casual academics to stop them claiming payment for work they performed.
A court has awarded $67,000 to a construction worker "crushed" by his foreman's suggestion that he would end up earning 50% less on non-union jobs if he didn't re-join the CFMMEU.
The Federal Court has imposed fines and costs of almost $1 million on the CFMMEU and more than $170,000 on officials and delegates for unlawful picketing and coercion of a crane company to reinstate a sacked delegate and sign an agreement.
A full Federal Court majority has found a judge did not deny a building contractor procedural fairness by failing to put it on notice before declaring it breached non-pleaded coercion provisions, during a meeting with undertones of The Godfather.
