Giudice to face Estimates on Wednesday; ACTU to seek minimum wage catch-up; Woodside to meet unions; Court extends Pluto injunction; Alcoa faces strikes at WA alumina operations; Senator Collins assisting Gillard on work-family balance, pay equity; and QIRC recognises local government association
The Federal Government has announced a major overhaul of the skilled migration program aimed at favouring workers with high-value skills at the expense of the backdoor migration of occupations such as cooks and hairdressers. The changes include a new list of skills in demand, a review of the points test, a limit on the number of workers from one occupation, State and Territory priority lists, and revoking the pre-September 2007 visa applications of some 20,000 overseas workers.
The Federal Government in a FWA full bench hearing today has backed arguments by Woolworths that the Fair Work Act does not require enterprise agreements to include a procedure for resolving disputes via arbitration.
It's time to stop trying to resurrect AWIRS and to start building support for a broad new "workplace dynamics" survey, according to Workplace Research Centre director John Buchanan.
The widespread perception that IR tribunal decisions reflect the background of those delivering them has some foundation, according to a study of four years of unfair dismissal determinations.
NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos today appeared in person in the Federal Court in a bid to protect the integrity of his State's workplace surveillance legislation after Australia Post sought declarations that it didn't apply to federal system employers.
Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard would be able to direct the building industry watchdog to focus its resources on non-compliance hotspots such as the recent unlawful strike on the Pluto LNG project under new amendments Labor is proposing to its BCII Act reform bill, but the Opposition says the power could be abused.
A line haul train driver who failed an alcohol test after claiming to have drunk only two stubbies of beer has failed in his bid to have Fair Work Australia overturn his dismissal.
The federal government, the AiG and ACCI have confirmed plans to intervene in the appeal against the Woolworths decision, while the ACTU says it is still considering whether it will seek to take part.
