Advocating a much more severe cut to the Coalition's paid parental leave scheme than Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced on Tuesday, the National Audit Commission has recommended the government cap payments at average weekly earnings and plough the resulting savings into child care assistance.
The Abbott Government's Audit Commission report, released today, recommends axing the FWC's role in setting minimum wages, moving over a decade to a new, lower "minimum wage benchmark" of 44% of average weekly earnings, and allowing "regional variations" that would open up a gap of $100 a week between workers in Tasmania and those in four other states and territories.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has conceded that savings "won't be vast" from cutting the maximum payment under its paid parental leave scheme to $50,000, while the Greens are pushing for the new regime to be fully-funded by the Coalition's proposed levy on business.
A Fair Work Commission full bench has ruled that it was not unreasonable for a global industrial software company to retrench an Australian technical project manager with one day's notice instead of redeploying him to an overseas position, overturning a deputy president's decision that his dismissal was unfair.
Business groups are pushing the Abbott Government to drop a requirement in its Fair Work amendments that the FWC take account of prevailing industry standards in approving employer proposals to resolve deadlocked greenfields negotiations, in submissions to a Senate inquiry.
Labour productivity in the private sector increased by 2% in the 12 months to July, just below the 30-year average of 2.2%, according to new data released today by the Productivity Commission.
A NSW public servant who admitted touching the breasts of five women during a 2012 Christmas party has won his job back after the NSW IRC found he was treated more harshly than a senior manager who was only demoted.
The Victorian WorkCover Authority has confirmed it has laid charges against Grocon group companies over last year’s wall collapse in Melbourne that killed three pedestrians.
A Fair Work Commission full bench has clarified the circumstances in which the tribunal can use its own-motion powers to impose restrictions on unions that have abused their entry rights.
New systems are needed to drive down superannuation fees and to prescribe default options, partly because of "widespread disengagement" by employers and employees in choosing and shifting to low-fee funds, according to a new study. Meanwhile, retail super funds are considering their legal options in the wake of an FWC ruling today.
