The High Court has this morning refused a CFMEU bid for special leave to challenge a full Federal Court majority ruling that increased penalties twelve-fold after after accepting that it could not treat a "lawful request" or a party's motivation for taking coercive industrial action as a mitigating factor when determining fines.
The IEU has flagged rolling stopworks in more than 500 NSW and ACT schools next term after the FWC held that, just as the Roman Catholic Church's dioceses are in "full communion" they are also engaged in a "common enterprise", so its employees are eligible to take protected action.
The High Court has reserved judgment after this week hearing regional airline Rex's challenge to a union's entitlement to represent the industrial interests of eligible non-members as it pursues an adverse action claim on behalf of cadet pilots and prospective employees.
The Federal Court has imposed record fines totalling more than $2.4 million against the CFMEU national and NSW branches and nine officials over breaches at Barangaroo in 2014, but says that without "legislative action" even higher penalties currently available under the law might not deter the militant union.
The ACTU's new economic manifesto reveals the movement as the latest convert to the anti-globalisation sentiment sweeping the world, with strengthened calls for a focus on 'buy Australian' policies.
A CFMEU-backed class action brought against an employer for allegedly underpaying 150 workers more than $1 million for travel time stands to recast agreement wording on the precise location where a job begins and ends.
In the first test of whether Queensland's laws regulating peaceful assemblies can be used to block pickets and protests during industrial disputes, the state's Supreme Court has rejected mining company Glencore's argument that such activities can't be authorised.
The Turnbull Government will this week introduce legislation giving APRA greater powers to investigate superannuation funds, including the fees and sponsorships directed from industry super funds to unions.
Business SA has lost its bid for a charitable purpose payroll tax exemption plus a refund of more than $2.6 million already paid, after a court found its primary purpose is providing policy advocacy to benefit businesses rather than advancing trade and commerce.
