The FWC has continued to update its information about employment law changes due to take effect next week, publishing new details about the Closing Loopholes No 2 Act impact on casuals, unfair contracts and gig workers.
The House of Representative has this evening passed the Albanese Government's legislation to put the CFMEU's construction division and branches into administration, accepting the amendments won by the Opposition in the Senate.
A notable difference between the federal legislation putting the CFMEU's construction division into administration and the FWC general manager's court application is that the former takes control of all state and territory branches, according to labour law academic Anthony Forsyth.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has this morning introduced legislation empowering him to put the CFMEU's construction and general division and its branches in the hands of an administrator.
An IR legal expert predicts the Federal Court case seeking to put the CFMEU construction division's national office and four branches into administration will not be required if federal legislation to be introduced this week mirrors a NSW bill.
NSW IR Minister Sophie Cotsis has told Parliament a bill to place the CFMEU construction and general division's State branch into administration for five years "strikes the balance" between not interfering in unions' important role and stamping out "corruption and gross misconduct".
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has this afternoon called on the CFMEU's "rogue" construction division to cooperate with FWC general manager Murray Furlong's Federal Court bid to put four of its branches into administration, while making it clear that he will intervene to support the application and reiterating that he will legislate for the same result if the union resists.
A FWC full bench has won support from unions and employers for suggested variations to casual employment clauses in awards to avoid friction with Closing Loopholes changes that take effect next month, although the Ai Group has raised a "related issue" it contends needs to be resolved as part of the case.
Four weeks ahead of employees winning a legislated right to disconnect, public service employers have been told they will need to train HR professionals and managers about the interaction of the new entitlement with general protections laws and consider updating job descriptions to ensure they "accurately reflect" expectations about after-hours contact.
