It would have been preferable for an FWC member to have provided brief reasons for refusing to hear a non-party union's arguments against approval of an enterprise agreement, and she should have acceded to its request for access to the employer's statutory declarations, a full bench has found.
More than 27% of public administration, defence, community services and utility workers belong to a union compared with less than 10% in mining and construction, while those of retirement age are significantly more likely to be members than those under 25, according to new research.
The CFMEU expects to lodge an appeal early next week against yesterday's FWC decision to terminate the agreement for AGL Loy Yang's power station and coal mine because of the "intractable" bargaining dispute between the parties.
The FWC has approved an enterprise agreement despite its "grave reservations" about the appropriateness of the company's ER manager obtaining a list of employees who abstained from the ballot for the deal and questioning them about their vote.
Barklamb returns to ACCI; CFMEU's Joe McDonald steps down; Ong acting as secretary of Queensland ETU, as Simpson battles cancer; and FWC dismisses ABC bullying case.
The FWC has granted MUA WA branch secretary Chris Cain a new entry permit but has warned that any breaches would undermine his credibility, making it "extraordinarily difficult" for him to continue to be deemed a "fit and proper" person.
The FWC has chastised an employer for distributing a "partisan" majority support ballot notice that discourages employees from voting to start bargaining.
The FWC has upheld DP World's sacking of a stevedore and self-proclaimed "big fish" in the MUA for bullying two colleagues who stepped outside a worker-maintained "system of control and internal discipline" by taking a complaint to HR.
Anglo Coal is facing a seven-figure backpayment, after the High Court refused to grant it special leave to appeal a finding that a subsidiary breached its enterprise agreement by failing to pay employees correctly when they cashed-out personal/carer's leave.
The FWC has given Coles Supermarkets until next month to provide rosters for comparison of its 2011 agreement with the retail award, as it prepares to hear night-fill worker Penny Vickers' push for the deal's termination.
