New Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has confirmed that he will introduce legislation if needed to ensure the FWC can take over the administration of CFMEU construction division branches accused of corruption, while dampening any expectation of further IR reform before the next election.
MEU members at Batchfire's Callide thermal coal mine in Queensland have overwhelmingly endorsed a protected action ballot, hot on the heels of the FWC's first same-job, same-pay ruling for the site's labour hire workers, who will benefit from any bargaining gains at the site.
Transgrid, the privately-owned operator of the NSW high-voltage electricity network, has won a three-week suspension of protected bans on work defined as a declared incident or emergency.
A Macquarie University academic says Medibank employees trialling a four-day "100:80:100" working week are performing better and feeling more motivated, while productivity is unchanged, with some indicating they would choose an employer based on whether the option is available.
CFMEU construction and general division national secretary Zach Smith has told members today he expects the FWC to seek to begin the process of appointing an administrator to "a number of branches" within days, but has not indicated whether the union will formally resist the move.
The federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers' Association, Steve Purvinas, has dropped his court case against members of his executive after they shelved moves to curtail his role.
The FAAA has extended the tentacles of its SJSP test case against Qantas labour suppliers, bringing an application against a third labour hire company, while the parallel test case against BHP Coal has been pushed back after unions sought extra time for their submissions.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has appointed former Justice Department secretary Greg Wilson to examine the State's construction sector and help eradicate its "rotten culture", including by boosting its ability to weed out criminal activity and protect whistleblowers.
The ACTU told its employees yesterday they should work from home due to the prospect of protest rallies by supporters of the CFMEU's construction and general division.
The Labor Party's national executive has this afternoon resolved to indefinitely suspend the CFMEU construction and general division's affiliations with the NSW, Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian branches of the party and to refuse political donations from them.
