Unions lost almost 93,000 members in the 12 months to August last year and density plunged to new lows of 17% overall and 12% in the private sector, according to the ABS.
The Financial Services Council has demanded that Fair Work Commission President Iain Ross clarify two legal points before its challenge to the default superannuation review is heard by the Federal Court on Friday.
Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has ordered the Fair Work Commission to give the Nine Network the CCTV footage relied on by the SA Rail Commissioner in an unfair dismissal hearing, finding that it was not exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
FWC President Iain Ross has this afternoon flatly rejected a suggestion that his involvement in superannuation funds "25 years ago" means he has a conflict of interest in sitting on the expert panel's review of default funds.
The construction watchdog's review of "cold cases" has identified another 14 cases where penalties were agreed through negotiation or discontinued, a Senate Estimates hearing has been told. Meanwhile, the Fair Work Ombudsman has rejected suggestions that it "washes its hands" of 457 visa complaints.
Victoria's Office of Public Prosecutions has been ordered pay a $10,000 fine and to reinstate a solicitor it subjected to unlawful adverse action when it stood him down then dismissed him for misconduct that "arose wholly" from his anxiety and depression.
A member of the Fair Work Commission's expert panel has resigned after being disqualified, due to a potential conflict of interest, from participating in the review of default superannuation funds. Meanwhile, the Financial Services Council's challenge to the make-up of the panel is to be heard this week.
The FWBC has included CFMEU construction and general division national secretary Dave Noonan in its fourth prosecution over the $1.2 billion Perth Children's Hospital project.
The construction watchdog says it pursuing action against 25 building workers who owe penalties of $135,625 dating from unlawful industrial action on the North-West shelf gas project in 2008.
Former Prime Minister John Howard says that of the five big economic reforms Australian governments has implemented over the last 30 years, industrial relations is the only one that has gone backwards.
