The Fair Work Commission has given permission for an employer to have legal representation in a workplace bullying case, despite an objection from the employee who launched the action who argued the Commission's bullying jurisdiction is based on self-representation.
The Federal Circuit Court has awarded a long-distance bus driver $13,000 after rejecting his employer's argument that he was employed to work shifts rather than calendar days and therefore not entitled to a living away from home allowance.
The Federal Court has criticised a lower court judge for making gratuitous comments about a barrister, but has rejected her argument that he should have stood down from her client's adverse action case because he was biased.
The Heydon Royal Commission will scrutinise operations of the Protect insurance scheme when it begins hearings into the ETU's Victorian branch tomorrow.
The High Court has reserved its decision on whether BHP Coal fell foul of the Fair Work Act's adverse action provisions by sacking a worker for breaching its workplace conduct policy after he held up an anti-"scab" sign at a picket.
The Abbott Government this morning introduced a Bill in the House of Representatives to cap redundancy payments under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee scheme at a maximum of 16 weeks, describing the current benefits for employees of insolvent companies as "overly generous" and as creating a "moral hazard".
Family First Senator Bob Day has used his first speech to parliament to press his argument for allowing job seekers to opt out of the regulated IR system if it will help them get work.
A Federal Court full bench has overturned a lower court's interpretation of an employment contract, finding that it had wrongly taken account of the parties' conduct after it commenced.
