Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has weighed into a crucial full bench same-job, same-pay test case targeting BHP's in-house labour suppliers, ahead of a hearing that starts Monday, contradicting claims the carve-out for service contractors captures any work that is "more than the mere supply of labour".
Workers have no right to disconnect from FWC proceedings and the Commission can order them to attend or give evidence outside of work hours, a presidential member has confirmed.
Two senior corporate lawyers will resume their pursuit of millions in compensation from Super Retail Group after the Federal Court rejected their claims that an enforceable settlement had already been agreed, while a full court will soon separately hear the employer's appeal aimed at suppressing details of its settlement offer.
Coalition dangles super cash-out on PPL; Symes takes Victorian IR reins; Victoria establishes parliamentary standards commission; and Wage share of revenue to grow: WEF report.
The FWC's edginess over small-cohort deals has come to the fore again after a member exercised his discretion to allow unions to insert themselves in the approval process for an agreement voted up by three workers, despite having no standing as bargaining representatives.
A lawyer who failed to follow "the most basic of instructions" during FWC proceedings and proved to be "exceptionally difficult to deal with", experienced reasonable management action rather than bullying when DEWR raised issues about his tardiness, falling asleep in meetings and delays in producing work.
"There is nothing inherently unfair about a small group" and an enterprise agreement could be made with as few as two employees, a FWC full bench has ruled, in rejecting an employer's argument on appeal that the Commission should not have issued a majority support determination because the chosen group made up only a small proportion of the workforce.
Nurses' strikes on hold while IRC arbitrates; ACTU refused leave to intervene in rail case; BOOT-related undertakings clinched multi-employer deal; and New NSW small claims jurisdiction.
Qantas will pay $120 million into a fund to compensate about 1800 former ground handling workers for economic and non-economic loss they suffered as a result of the airline's unlawful outsourcing their jobs during the pandemic, though it is not yet clear how much each individual might receive or how this is to be determined.
