Longstanding tensions within the HSU's Victorian (No 1) branch erupted into open warfare yesterday after complaints were made to police over the conduct of two of the union's most senior officials.
Royal Assent for Fair Work Bill likely mid next week; First case under WR Act's marital status ground for unlawful termination; Victorian train drivers just beat Work Choices disamalgamation deadline; Consultant takes umbrage at WO chief counsel's comments; and Gender pay gap narrows for Generation Y, but men still way ahead over lifetime.
The Federal Government's decision to move to market rates for 457 visa holders will take effect from mid-September while employers will have to pay a 4.1% increase to minimum salary levels from July 1, under changes to the 457 visa system announced by Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans.
The Workplace Ombudsman's chief counsel last night revealed his three-year-old organisation had never prosecuted a member of an employer organisation, saying their sound advice to members was the best "insurance policy" against intervention by IR enforcement agencies.
Three of Australia's big banks have ended their long freeze on collective bargaining and the fourth, NAB, is preparing to extend its existing enterprise agreement, according to the Finance Sector Union.
A court has ordered two workers to pay more than $200,000 in compensation to their former employer, after finding they caused him to lose earnings and to sell his business at a discount when they covertly went into competition with him and diverted custom while still in his employ.
Restaurant employers protesting too much, says Lawrence; AIRC issues s496 order as TWU wildcat stoppage ends; Tourism body targets IR/HR practitioners in campaign to boost uptake of annual leave; US productivity up, but real middle incomes down; PC executive pay inquiry to release issues paper next month; SA engineering employers association members back merger with AiG; and Pay equity hearings in three capitals this week.
Construction company John Holland has won a Federal Court injunction to stop protesting unionists abusing its employees, damaging its property and publicly urinating near one of its offices.
Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard says the Fair Work Act brings Australia's workplace laws into alignment with key ILO conventions, in the wake of the international organisation making it clear in a new report that it wants the Government to make substantial changes to IR laws so they comply with international standards. But the barrister who prepared the CEPU's recent complaint to the ILO dismisses the Minister's claim as "Orwellian Newspeak".
