Federal Labor says it is ready to support the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement after securing "legally binding safeguards" requiring labour market testing, use of enterprise agreements as a reference point for 457 visa workers' salaries and a 90-day deadline on obtaining occupational or trades licences.
With legal avenues exhausted in their battles with the NSW government over public sector wages, superannuation and redundancy, unions have today lodged a complaint with the ILO and requested a formal investigation into the state's bargaining laws.
The Fair Work Commission has rejected an employer's argument that a private arbitration clause in an employment agreement restricts its ability to deal with an unfair dismissal application.
