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.
The ACCI has told the Fair Work review panel that FWA should be required, as part of the agreement approval process, to enquire whether parties had considered a wages/superannuation trade-off during bargaining.
The CFMEU has lost an appeal against a Federal Court order that it must pay $98,000 compensation to a head contractor that argued that it had lost five days of an early completion bonus and incurred costs because of the same amount of industrial action taken during the project.
A senior FWA member has pointed to the recent Qantas and Victorian nurses' disputes as examples of where parties had a "very sophisticated understanding" of IR laws, and said that while having a lawyer by your side during disputes wasn't always necessary, it could be "prudent" to at least consider getting specialist advice.
FWA says saliva testing best for detecting impairment; ACTU welcomes Facebook move to protect privacy; Victorian teachers threaten industrial action, as 12% deal ratified for WA counterparts; Public sector union secretary to break branch records during sixth term; Cochlear bargaining orders case to resume in late May; and High Court hears Barclay adverse action appeal.
