The ACTU is arguing for the Federal Government’s substantive IR legislation to provide for the ability to break bargaining deadlocks, secretary Jeff Lawrence said today.
Workplace Authority director Barbara Bennett has admitted her organisation struggled with the fairness test, but says the more measured implementation of the new no-disadvantage test is producing better results and faster approvals. She revealed ITEAs are being lodged at half the rate of AWAs, and make up 80% of all lodgements.
The award modernisation process is likely to severely weaken the longstanding award coverage rights of many employer groups and could result in a round of mergers among state-based organisations, according to IR consultant Andrew O’Brien.
The Opposition will adhere to three core IR principles - a small business unfair dismissal exemption, retaining the ABCC with its full powers, and ensuring a form of statutory individual contract survives – when it adopts its position on Federal Labor’s substantive IR bill, Shadow Workplace Relations Minister Julie Bishop said today.
AIRC to rule on power to intervene in Telstra dispute; RBA says wages contained and likely to remain that way; No negative impact on economy or jobs from safety net rise, says AFPC; and Parliamentary Library publishes new primer on superannuation.
Qantas faces the prospect of serious disruptions to its maintenance operations if engineering storeworkers vote to take indefinite strike action in a postal ballot to be held next week.
New uncertainty surrounds the Federal Governent’s proposal for a national IR system for the private sector, with WA Labor facing the possibility of losing power and NSW – the leader of the push to drive a hard bargain with Canberra – likely to get a new IR minister tomorrow.
CPSU considers plan for more centralised bargaining, as nominations open for union election; Work Choices behind my Senate move, says Farrell; Court gives WO chance to fix "deficient" application; and Latest Garnaut report says climate change inaction would cut wages by 12%.
CFMEU (mining & energy division) delegates from Swiss-based Xstrata Coal's operations around Australia have endorsed a campaign against what the union claims is the company's declared preference for pursuing individual over collective agreements.
