Employers once said to be facing up to $38 billion in casuals' backpay claims have welcomed today's High Court confirmation that contracts are decisive in determining employment types, while workers' representatives have come out swinging.
The FWC has blocked a large employer's bid to move workers on to higher-paid staff roles as part of a restructure, telling the company the decision will "increase [its] cost benefits".
The FWC has rebuffed Wesfarmers subsidiary Officeworks' request that it be represented by law firm Freehills in a dispute with the SDA and has suggested, based on correspondence from the company, that its head of HR, Heidi Dorman, should appear.
A worker engaged by Mondelez on end-to-end short-term contracts over 2.5 years has no right to pursue an unfair dismissal claim against the chocolate and confectionery giant, the FWC has ruled.
The FWC has avoided "unconscionable injustice" to a female Qantas pilot, finding it lacked the power to deal with colleagues' belated challenge to her seniority during a COVID-19-driven "every man for themselves" scramble for the lifeboats.
Woolworths has confirmed it will pay the 2.5% minimum wage increase to employees from the first week of next month, avoiding a repeat of the dispute it had last year with retail unions over the timing of pay rises to workers in its supermarkets and Big W stores.
The FWC has again blocked Sydney Trains from compelling electrical workers to participate in a trial to reduce downtime during maintenance, with a full bench finding it would introduce risks inconsistent with its obligations under safety laws.
Qube Logistics must backpay two 3% increases held to be payable until it re-negotiated a rail deal, after a full Federal Court today upheld a finding that re-negotiation takes place when an agreement comes into force rather than when bargaining begins.
A full bench has overturned a decision that found casual Streets Ice Cream factory workers were not to be counted in calculating ratios for full time and other types of employment set when Unilever introduced a new "flexible permanent part-time" category.
