Pay rises in private sector agreements approved in the June quarter reached 3% for the first time in 18 months, despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Attorney-General's Department data bedevilled by an inability to quantify increases for 76,000 workers.
The CFMMEU construction and general division's NSW branch has warned sub-contractors that have signed its new pattern agreement they face being reported to the ABCC unless they switch to a nine-day fortnight from December 1.
Bargained private sector wage rises recovered to near three-year highs in the March quarter, before they felt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Attorney-General's Department.
Large numbers of retail employees covered by agreements approved in the second half of last year face wage freezes if employers succeed in their campaign for a coronavirus-driven pause in minimum pay rises such as that adopted during the GFC, new Attorney-General's Department data on bargained wage rises reveals.
Bargained wage rises in the private sector dropped to 2.7% a year in the September quarter, according to newly-released Attorney-General's Department data that also shows some large retail employers are starting to tie increases to the FWC's annual review.
An employer that unilaterally reduced the classification levels of two workers previously handed a pay upgrade has failed to convince the FWC it had no power to intervene in a contractual issue "masquerading" as an enterprise agreement dispute.
An FWC presidential member had no power to approve an agreement before he received written undertakings to satisfy the BOOT, a full bench has found in a ruling in which it also uncovered incorrect claims by the employer that employees would not be worse off.
The SDA has hit back at claims by RAFFWU that a Hungry Jack's deal awaiting approval in the FWC is the worst since the unregistered union's inception, rejecting contentions that it tries to "casualise part-time work" and denies workers a choice of super fund without paying enough to leave them better off.
A worker's tardy pursuit of claimed underpayments under an old agreement has failed, the FWC agreeing with the employer that it lacked jurisdiction once a new deal was approved.
