Psychiatrist staff specialists in NSW public hospitals have won a temporary 10% "stop-gap" attraction and retention allowance, after a State IRC full bench accepted they had established a special case to address an "acute shortage", partly a result of "comparatively low pay", that is driving a reduction in the quality of mental health care.
The NSW IRC last year received 36% more applications than in 2023, while cases finalised dropped by 16%, according to its latest annual report, which takes in the first six months of its renewed powers.
NSW IR Minister Sophie Cotsis says a Bill providing for the CFMEU State branch's mining and energy division and its manufacturing division to disamalgamate will guard against threats or "adverse conduct", while avoiding overlapping eligibility rules for at least a decade.
NSW firefighters have won a 14% pay rise over three years, with over-inflation increases to compensate for wages going backwards during the pandemic, and a 3% component to address undervalued skills.
Newly-introduced NSW legislation would require employers to ensure that their use of artificial intelligence, algorithms and automation does not risk worker health and safety, including by creating excessive workloads and performance metrics or unreasonably monitoring workers.
CFMEU women's networks have objected to construction division administrator Mark Irving's plan to invest $5.4 million in a men's construction-industry behaviour change program, accusing him of failing to consult women members.
One of the country's leading employment barristers has been fined $20,000 and ordered to undertake counselling after being found to have s-xually touched a female solicitor at a firm's Christmas party.
The Minns Government has passed major reforms that establish anti-bullying and s-xual harassment jurisdictions in the IRC and allow workers to seek preventative orders and up to $100,000 in damages, while also significantly lifting the small claims cap.
The Minns Government is establishing a just transition body to work with communities in coal-producing regions to "begin planning for a future beyond coal".
The Minns Labor Government's rush to pass contentious workers' compensation amendments has backfired, with the NSW upper house sending the legislation to a Greens-chaired inquiry that will get to decide its own reporting date.
