In a novel decision on the need to consider alternative duties for incapacitated workers, the FWC has found an agreement clause requiring directions to be reasonable trumped BHP Coal's common law right to refuse to allow a mineworker to perform only part of his job.
The FWC has observed it is "not necessary" to consider whether representation creates unfairness between parties, as a French company was granted permission to engage a lawyer to defend a self-represented employee's unfair dismissal claim.
A court has elected not to impose a personal payment order against a CFMEU official fined $7500 for organising action that severely disrupted a major construction project, despite finding his actions "nothing short of unconscionable".
Unions have welcomed a South Australia Labor Party promise to introduce 10 days' paid domestic violence leave if it is re-elected on Saturday week, saying they hope it will push the federal government to adopt the approach nationally.
The CFMEU has successfully challenged a conditional permit issued to one of its NSW organisers, with an FWC full bench reinstating a full permit on the basis that undertakings will have the same effect.
The Flight Attendants Association national divisional council has appointed Shane Scanlon as secretary, while the union presses jurisdictional objections against unfair dismissal claims brought by its former leader Andrew Staniforth and member support manager Carolyn Summers.
A presidential member of the FWC has prodded legislators to revisit "confusing" aspects of the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code in order to deliver on its promise of speeding parties' progress through the unfair dismissal jurisdiction.
Qantas has confirmed that new guidelines on "inclusive language" are aspirational and won't be incorporated into its conduct and ethics code, which carries the threat of disciplinary action.
The federal government's efforts to rein in the ballooning costs of its FEG scheme have received a significant boost after an appeal court overturned a ruling that stripped it of priority status in seeking to recover almost $4 million paid to employees of a collapsed company.
In a landmark ruling, the Federal Court has found today that a Spotless subsidiary failed to meet its obligations under the NES to provide notice and severance pay to employees – some with 15 to 20 years service – when it lost a longstanding services contract at a major shopping complex.
