Expanding on its theme that the wages system is "broken", the ACTU will seek to change workplace laws so workers and unions can bargain "where the power is" across industries and franchised employers, rather than being limited to the enterprise level.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled today the contentious decision to cut Sunday penalty rates will be phased-in over four financial years in the retail and pharmacy sectors and over three financial years in hospitality and fast food.
The maverick Federal Nationals MP George Christensen says he will introduce his own private members' bill to protect Sunday penalty rates from being cut.
Shadow IR Minister Brendan O'Connor has questioned whether industry awards are operating as a "decent safety net" any more, signalling that Labor is looking at ways to change the Fair Work Act to ensure negotiations over workers' wages and conditions are conducted "on a level playing field".
As the FWC minimum wage panel draws closer to a determination in its annual review, a discussion paper based on surveys of more than 700,000 "lesser skilled" Americans has questioned whether policymakers need to consider mechanisms other than minimum pay rates as a means of improving health outcomes for low-paid workers.
The Federal Court has refused an application by a company to be represented by its operations manager rather than a lawyer, ruling that the manager lacked "the necessary degree of objectivity and skill" required to conduct the case.
An accountancy firm that knowingly failed to maintain current award rates of pay in its MYOB payroll system has been found accessorially liable for an employer's underpayments.
Average pay rises in private sector agreements struck in last year's December quarter returned to the recent trend of about 3% a year, according to new Department of Employment data.
A full Federal Court will in August hear an application from Queensland employers facing millions of dollars in backpay claims following a full FWC bench decision that apprentices' pay should be measured against the more generous federal award rather than the state award when conducting the BOOT.
