A Coalition government could "significantly alter" the IR landscape without amending the Fair Work Act, according to Sydney University's Professor Ron McCallum, while the ACTU has pinpointed 198 sections of federal Labor's workplace laws that it says enable change via the regulations.
The ACTU executive has voted to impose $1-per-member levy on affiliated unions to fund the union peak body's election campaign, but ETU Victorian branch secretary Dean Mighell says his union won't put money into the "misdirected" campaign.
The Labor Government has changed the preamble and checklist accompanying the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, in a move it said was designed to address Fair Work Australia criticisms of the document.
FWO prosecutes employer over alleged $1.90-an-hour pay; Ark Tribe trial resumes tomorrow; National Retailers Association to appeal minimum hours ruling; and ABCC takes action over Melbourne markets dispute
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has failed to guarantee that "every single aspect of workplace relations" would continue unchanged if he was elected, while Labor says the Coalition has left itself wriggle room to change key aspects of the IR system.
Xstrata Coal has called in police after a bomb-like device was allegedly discovered in the vehicle of a manager at Tahmoor colliery, while the mining union condemned the incident and criticised the company for linking it to a bargaining dispute at the mine.
Two employees have succeeded in their unfair dismissal claims against tyre retailer Beaurepaires, after FWA found that while their error in fitting the wrong tyre was a valid reason for termination, the dismissals were harsh overall.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called an election for August 21, while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has sought to neutralise IR as a campaign issue by declaring a Coalition government would retain the Fair Work Act in its first term.
New transmission of business rules introduced as part of the Fair Work reforms are making it more difficult for outsourced employees to hold on to their jobs and imposing unworkable restrictions on employers, according to the AiG, which has called for significant changes to the laws.
