Queensland IRC President David Hall - who is about to have his administrative powers returned via legislation introduced to State Parliament yesterday - has launched an extraordinary attack on members of his Commission, saying they might have engaged in a "deliberate untruth", acted in a "misleading" manner, and published disinformation.
The ETU's Queensland branch will ramp up industrial action in coming weeks following moves by electrical contractors in the state to pursue non-union agreements with their employees.
Brisbane railway workers set to strike next week; Obama pledges to roll back Bush's anti-union policies; SA teachers win 3.75% interim pay rise; CFMEU demand to employ shop stewards breaches BCII Act; NZ minimum wage increase not enough: CTU; and Yum! Restaurants bid to extend Pizza Hut award fails
Unions and employer groups have responded to the devastating Victorian bushfires with donations of money and other pledges of assistance, while corporate Australia has already committed millions of dollars.
Employers should be encouraged but not required to advise sacked employees in writing of the new federal unfair dismissal regime, while federal Labor's Fair Work Bill should also stipulate that unions signing greenfields deals represent the majority of employees who will be covered by them, according to University of Adelaide's Professor Andrew Stewart.
Workers engaged on Melbourne's Westgate Bridge have returned to work after a demarcation dispute between key construction unions erupted into industrial action last week.
Maternity pay is provided in just 16% of private sector agreements and paternity pay in only 13%, University of Sydney researchers have found in the first analysis of the incidence of paid parental leave entitlements in agreements.
The AIRC has slapped an industrial advocate with a costs order after finding he pushed for go-away money in an unfair dismissal case he knew was hopeless.
