The body charged with reviewing the Fair Work Act has suggested that centralised wage-setting under awards might hamper the effectiveness of market signals and lead to artificially inflated pay rates, in a recently-released report on labour mobility in Australia.
The Fair Work Commission has pushed the federal and state governments to show their hands in this year's wage review, asking them what dollar or percentage increase would constitute a "cautious" or "balanced" approach.
New analysis by the ACTU argues that the real agenda of the Commission of Audit's suggested changes to the national minimum wage is to reduce the pay safety net for 1.5 million workers who receive award minimum rates.
Labour productivity in the private sector increased by 2% in the 12 months to July, just below the 30-year average of 2.2%, according to new data released today by the Productivity Commission.
Private sector agreements approved in the December quarter provided average pay rises of 3.6% a year, slightly up on the 3.5% annual increase recorded in the September quarter, according to Department of Employment data released today.
Victoria will seek to terminate ambulance action that affects community safety; RBA says wages subdued; WPI growing at slowest recorded pace; Discipline policy overrides custom: decision upheld; Up to $7 trillion of super could fund infrastructure growth by 2030: report shows; Vale Kathrine (Kath) Nelson; and Correction to article about WA minister.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency says the new mandatory reports that employers of 100-plus employees must submit on April 1 next year will be "significantly easier and quicker to complete" than those under the previous regime. Meanwhile, the WGEA is relaunching its employer of choice accreditation scheme.
Lower participation rates almost entirely due to ageing of population, says ACTU; AHRC seeking submissions on pregnancy discrimination; Subclass 457 visa data at odds with Labor Government claims; and SDA runs commercials in cinemas to support bid to remove junior rates.
Unions gained 6,000 members in the 12 months to August last year, but growth failed to keep pace with the size of the workforce, so density fell from 18.4% to 18.2% overall and from 13.2% to 13% in the private sector, according to the ABS.
