The NSW Parliament has passed stripped-back workers' compensation reforms following serious backlash over a Minns Government plan to increase the whole-person impairment threshold from 15% to 31% for employees suffering psychological injuries.
The NSW Industrial Court has fined the state's nurses and midwives union $130,000 for its "flagrant and unapologetic" flouting of multiple anti-strike orders during pay negotiations with the Minns Government that have since morphed into a major gender undervaluation case.
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.
