FWA general manager Bernadette O'Neill says she acted within the powers available to her and in accordance with AGS advice when she referred the HSU national office report to the Commonwealth DPP, after public prosecutor Chris Craigie SC said the form of the materials provided to him were a barrier to deciding whether criminal proceedings were warranted against the union's national office and officials.
Bowen Basin mineworkers to strike again for seven days; Highest Victorian fine for shoe store operators who deliberately underpaid staff; Child protection agreement narrows scope of Victorian public service workplace determination; UnionsWA backs HSU in the west; and Tribunal throws out case based on "grave" 1990s discrimination allegations.
Major contract cleaning company, the Spotless Group, and United Voice remain locked in a battle over the company's preference to employ shopping centre cleaners under the Cleaning Services Award and the union's push for a sector-wide agreement containing significant wage increases.
Attempts by the Victorian Government to enforce provisions in its new construction guidelines that effectively re-impose parts of the Work Choices prohibited content regime could result in unions or employers launching a general protections case based on denial of their workplace rights, according to University of Adelaide Professor of Law, Andrew Stewart.
FWA general manager Bernadette O'Neill has today referred the 1100-page report into the financial management of the HSU's national office to the Commonwealth DPP to consider criminal charges, after her delegate, Terry Nassios, found last week that the union, three officials and one non-official had committed 181 contraventions of the registered organisations laws, including 105 subject to civil penalties.
Fair Work Ombudsman Nick Wilson has warned multinational companies of the dangers of engaging employees overseas to work in Australia, after prosecuting Jetstar for employing cadet pilots on NZ individual contracts for work that was exclusively in Australia and covered by a domestic award.
Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten and Climate Change Minister Greg Combet have today accused AiG of "voodoo economics" for proposing a lower minimum wage rise due to overcompensation for the carbon tax; while the employer organisation has lodged a challenge to FWA's Workpac decision.
Fair Work Australia's Endeavour Coal full bench decision on good faith bargaining makes it clear that employers can't engage in "surface bargaining" and "just say no", says Monash University's Anthony Forsyth.
Queensland Premier takes public sector IR portfolio; FWA to determine HACSU/HSU East demark, while mental health bargaining heading to FWA; Victorian nurses wait for chance to endorse ballot; and Bullying claim to be pursued by former HSU official facing civil action.
