The FWC has issued a single interest employer authorisation for two regional Victorian councils, in the first full bench ruling to weigh whether it is barred from approving multi-employer negotiations when a union and an employer party have allegedly agreed in writing to bargain for a proposed single-enterprise agreement.
With "limited take-up" of multi-employer bargaining since its inception last year, a paper presented at the Australian Labour Law Association national conference in Geelong last week says some "technical" amendments would make it simpler and easier to authorise negotiations and make deals.
The public outcry about multi-employer bargaining during the passage of the Secure Jobs legislation was "massively overstated" in the light of the limited number of cases that have since emerged, but recent reforms might have revived single-enterprise bargaining, according to FWC President Adam Hatcher.
The FWC has granted a supported bargaining authorisation that boosts an IEU push for a 25% pay rise for teachers in more than 100 NSW preschools, while employers told the tribunal the Fair Work Act changes have finally put them in a position to negotiate.
After a hard-fought battle, a mining union has today won an authorisation to negotiate a multi-employer agreement with three underground black coal mines operated by major resource companies Peabody, Ulan and Whitehaven, but Delta has escaped its clutches.
The ASU has won a supported bargaining authorisation to bolster negotiations with the ACT Government for a multi-enterprise deal for social and community services workers employed by 17 funding-reliant organisations.
If the FWC grants the SDA a first-of-its-kind supported bargaining authorisation targeting SA's McDonald's franchisees, the union says it will seek to lift pay, boost job security and get rid of an "outrageous" rostering practice.
The FWC will apply greater scrutiny to agreements made with the CFMEU's construction and general division, in the wake of allegations about the union's conduct.
The IEU has today filed a supported bargaining application with the FWC to push for a 25% pay rise for teachers in more than 100 NSW community-based preschools, arguing it is a sector lacking HR and IR expertise that needs "stewardship and support" to facilitate talks.
The TWU has begun multi-employer bargaining with aviation ground-handling operators, as unions continue to make use of the Albanese Government's new IR laws.
