Despite opposition from an employer, a tribunal has agreed to suppress the identity of a man who claims he is being sexually harassed, discriminated against and victimised in his male-dominated workplace because of his imputed homosexuality.
Justice Susan Kiefel is set to be the High Court's first female chief justice on the retirement of the incumbent, Robert French, while Federal Court Justice James Edelman is to join her on the bench.
The Federal Court has refused to suspend penalties against 50 workers who walked out to protest a colleague's sacking, fining each individual up to $1,500 for their unlawful industrial action at ExxonMobil's Longford gas conditioning plant last year.
As debate resumed on the ABCC legislation in the Senate this morning, the Greens introduced into the House a bill to protect loadings and penalty rates for weekend and night work, while Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten presented legislation to further restrict the use of 457 visas.
The FWC has found a roof tiler is an employee who can make an unfair dismissal claim, ruling his employer created an independent contracting "façade" to suit its own purposes and avoid paying his entitlements.
The Human Rights Commission has recommended an employer update anti-bias policies that provided insufficient guidance on how to avoid discriminating against an employee with a prior conviction for selling drugs.
Almost one-in-10 Australian workers now experience bullying, according to a report released this week, with those employed in the utilities and government administration and defence industries suffering among the highest levels of harassment.
The Federal Court has rejected a former FWBC inspector's challenge to his dismissal for non-disclosure of past criminal and disciplinary proceedings while a NSW police officer, and has accused him of "blatant dishonesty".
CEPU leader Jim Metcher has stood aside from his role in the wake of domestic violence allegations against him, while the union conducts an investigation.
