In the wake of the MH17 disaster and continued unrest in Iraq, the TWU has called on the Abbott government to compel all Australian flights to avoid war zones, and is pushing for "protections" for pilots and crew who refuse to work on dangerous routes.
In a dispute that could extend to the eastern seaboard, major stevedore DP World says it will lock out its Fremantle workforce tomorrow and subcontract its work to competitor, Patrick.
Former HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson accused the Heydon Royal Commission of ambushing her and requested legal representation this morning after she was questioned over a $50,000 payment to her former husband and her previous evidence to the inquiry.
In a new report, the Business Council of Australia has turned its sights on penalty rates, the permitted content of enterprise agreements and unwanted third party intervention in employment relationships, at the same time advocating that the safety net of pay and conditions be "strongly enforced".
A court has found that a worker who was asked to look for alternative employment due to his heart condition was dismissed, rejecting his employer's argument that his job ended by "mutual agreement".
In another instance of the FWBC's tougher stance under Nigel Hadgkiss, the inspectorate has begun Federal Court action against 23 workers accused of taking unprotected industrial action at the $1.8 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital project.
The Fair Work Commission has suggested BHP Coal was "kicking a man when he is down" and acting without a "sense of Christian charity" in seeking legal costs from a former employee who unsuccessfully claimed unfair dismissal.
Former ACTU secretary Greg Combet has called for a major overhaul of the ALP's structure to break the grip on power of a "small number of union leaders" and factional chiefs.
Former HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson will return to the witness box at the Heydon Royal Commission on Wednesday to face further questions from counsel assisting the inquiry.
