The ACTU and business groups have largely welcomed today's $42 billion economic stimulus package, though the peak union body still expects more from the Federal Government to address job insecurity and has reiterated its call for a jobs summit.
The AIRC has refused to register a proposed union to cover Virgin Blue pilots, after finding it wasn't set up properly, but the union looks likely to appeal.
AWU national secretary Paul Howes has rejected calls for wage restraint - revealing his members had decided not to support the temporary pay freeze at Alcoa's WA operations - and called for a short-term return to protectionism to defend Australian jobs.
Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has today committed to changing the Fair Work Bill, saying drafters had inadvertently removed the obligation to pay a week's notice on termination of employment to permanent employees with less than 12 months service.
AMMA and the MBA have jointly urged the Government to give Fair Work Australia sweeping powers over union entry rights, including the ability to penalise unions for breaches by cutting back their representation rights.
The WO has launched a sham contracting case against a Sydney finance company, in what appears to be the first use of amendments introduced by Kevin Andrews when he was the Howard Government's workplace relations minister.
While debate on the Labor Government's new unfair dismissal laws has focussed on the restoration of rights to employees who had no redress under Work Choices, the Fair Work Bill actually removes many workers' existing rights to a notice period, an employment lawyer has pointed out.
The AIRC award modernisation full bench today published a full list of the 39 industries and occupations, and their relevant awards and NAPSAs, to be dealt with in the biggest part of the process - stage three. It has also revised its timetable to provide an extra sitting week during both the pre-drafting and exposure draft consultations.
In the wake of announcing yesterday that WA won’t refer its IR powers to Canberra, state Commerce Minister Troy Buswell has today called for the Federal Government to allow employment to be made conditional on signing an individual flexibility agreement, and revealed that he wants similar provisions in the state’s individual agreements stream, which will get a makeover.
