A second-term Turnbull Government will adopt the "overwhelming majority" of the Heydon Royal Commission's recommendations, including outlawing "corrupting benefits" such as those involved in the AWU-Cleanevent deal and giving courts the power to disqualify repeat-offender union officials, Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said today.
Unions are pushing for the introduction of a threshold "better off overall test" for employers that are seeking to join the national Comcare workers' compensation scheme.
Two weeks into the federal election campaign, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for the re-introduction of statutory individual agreements and the removal of all content except wage rates from modern awards.
A Turnbull Coalition Government, if returned at the July 2 election, will amend the Fair Work Act to make franchisors and parent entities responsible for their franchisees' and subsidiaries' exploitation of vulnerable workers, while increasing penalties tenfold for employers that underpay such workers and fail to keep proper records.
Reducing penalty rates, increasing rostering flexibility and boosting the ability of employers to make agreements directly with employees are at the top of employer groups' IR wishlists for the July 2 federal election.
FWC's interest-based dispute resolution approach reaches new stage; Shorten Government would intervene in penalties case; Visa cases now the lion's share of FWO prosecutions; Budget Estimates hearings brought forward; Labor bid to disallow regulation postponed to Wednesday; and Slaters wins new finance deal.
The NTEU has called on the UniSuper industry superannuation fund's chief executive officer, to withdraw his public statement opposing Labor's planned $53M royal commission into the finance sector.
The Turnbull Government will take its response to the Productivity Commission inquiry into overhauling the IR system to the federal election on July 2.
Employers are likely to maintain their own paid parental leave schemes even if the Abbott Government's proposed Bill to prevent so-called parent "double-dipping" into government and employer-funded schemes becomes law, according to a key employer group.
Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon has rejected union applications for him to stand down from the inquiry on the grounds of apprehended bias, while acknowledging they could still apply to a court to make such a ruling.
