Ahead of the October 26 State election, Queensland unions are set to launch a campaign today to lift the current public sector parental leave entitlement of 15 weeks to 18 weeks, plus an extra eight weeks for workers with five years service.
In a significant decision on paid parental leave, a FWC presidential member has ordered a State-owned public transport provider to backpay a bus driver who claimed to be the primary carer of his newborn son while his wife recovered from an emergency caesarean section.
An employer did not discriminate against a lawyer when it twice declined to roll over short, fixed-term contracts that would have entitled her to paid maternity leave, an appeal panel has found.
The Senate has passed legislation to raise federally-funded paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026 after crossbench senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock secured $10 million to help small businesses administer the scheme.
A Senate inquiry report tabled this afternoon says the legislation to raise paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026 should pass unamended, but the Greens want to see more progress toward a 52-week entitlement, while the Coalition is seeking an opt-out for small businesses from passing on parental leave payments.
The ACTU is urging a Senate inquiry, ahead of it reporting today, to reject an ACCI proposal to exempt small businesses from directly making parental payments, ceding responsibility to Services Australia.
The Australian Public Service Commission has tabled a revised APS pay offer that lifts total increases from 10.5% over three years to 11.2% and makes a 2.29% "re-alignment payment" for employees in some agencies as part of a shift to service-wide common dates for wage rises.
The RBA will put its bargaining offer directly to employees this month, governor Philip Lowe told an inquiry this morning, after failing to reach agreement with FSU.
The FSU is urging members at NAB to accept a revised "benchmark" agreement offer that will lift their pay by as much as 17.5% and boost the ability to work from home, but the union says the improvements are not enough for it to call off Federal Court action over excessive hours.
