The FWC's edginess over small-cohort deals has come to the fore again after a member exercised his discretion to allow unions to insert themselves in the approval process for an agreement voted up by three workers, despite having no standing as bargaining representatives.
Unprotected industrial action undermines collective negotiations because it is "directly contrary" to the Fair Work Act's bargaining regime, Deputy President Gerard Boyce has held in his reasons for finding the UWU's "unlawful" picketing of Woolworths distribution centres breached its good faith bargaining obligations.
The Federal Court has today restrained HSU Victorian No 1 branch secretary Diana Asmar - accused of illegitimate reimbursements and engaging in a cashback scheme - from performing her duties, clearing the way for her deputy, David Eden, to temporarily take up the role.
In a decision tackling an overlooked need to issue protected action ballot orders reflecting a shift to multi-employer bargaining at Sydney Trains and NSW Trains, the FWC has chastised the employers for seeking an additional technical step serving "no purpose" other than to bring about a delay.
Five years after the NUW and United Voice merged to form the United Workers Union, the amalgamated union has turned a jaw-dropping $40 million loss in 2021-22 into a $8 million profit in 2023-24, despite losing more than 4,000 members since the 2021 zenith of 152,300.
The FWC has renewed an MUA organiser's entry permit, finding his arrest at a rally opposing the war in Gaza relevant, but not enough to prevent him passing the fit and proper person test, and a "removed" CFMEU organiser has won a new permit after the old one's automatic cancellation.
Rail unions are urgently seeking renewed authorisation for festive season protected action at Sydney Trains and NSW Trains, after the Federal Court last night acceded to the employers' bid to temporarily declare unlawful bans to take effect this morning.
After a 17-day strike and continued picketing on Saturday despite FWC orders, workers at four Woolworths warehouses have voted up a revised offer, with pay rises of 10.5% to 12% over three years, and safeguards to ensure the company does not use a work-speed measurement tool to automatically discipline workers.
Union density has risen for the first time in 13 years and membership has increased by 160,000 in the past two years, while working from home appears to have stabilised at a bit more than a third of employees, new ABS data reveals.
The FWC has refused to approve a Subway franchisee's proposed deal designed to replace a zombie agreement, finding it not genuinely agreed because the employer failed to adequately explain which allowances would be absorbed into the rate of pay, and that penalty and minimum rates would freeze for the life of the agreement.
