Greens IR spokesperson and key lower house crossbench member Adam Bandt has today floated some proposals to shift IR regulation onto what he contends would be a "more sustainable" footing.
Part of desal workforce back on job tomorrow; Low paid bargaining case begins; ACTU pushing to boost bargaining rights; and New national president for MBA.
Fair Work Australia's only full bench ruling on whether employers can bypass unions during good faith bargaining and deal directly with employees is so narrow in scope that it has left the door open for further consideration of the issue, a CFMEU legal officer told Friday's Australian Labour Law Association conference in Adelaide.
Workplace Relations Minister Senator Chris Evans says Labor is focused on bedding down the Fair Work Act, while his Coalition counterpart, Senator Eric Abetz, says it will be up to others to campaign for reform of the legislation.
A test case clarifying the operation of the general protections provisions might help increase the flow of such claims to federal courts, according to Federal Magistrate and former Fair Work Australia member Dominica Whelan.
Nine out of 10 employers are satisfied overall with the performance of Fair Work Australia's unfair dismissal conciliators, according to a survey released today.
The Federal Government has warned it will have to fund any pay increases awarded in the SACS equal pay case by cutting other programs, and has urged FWA to "find the right balance" between equal remuneration for community sector workers and "the broader implications of any wage increase".
ABC Commissioner Leigh Johns today fleshed out his proposal for a sham contracting inquiry and roundtable, indicating the process could lead to a building industry code of practice on the issue.
The Senate has ordered Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy to provide "EBA principles" he said unions had developed to guide their wage negotiations with the NBN Co, while the CEPU says it will seek 5% pay increases in bargaining with the contractors that will roll out the network.
