Unions say they will seek to convince Fair Work Australia's minimum wages panel that new legislative objectives it must consider - such as social inclusion, relative living standards and the needs of the low-paid - open the way for it to set higher minima, increase casual loadings and boost conditions.
Victorian paramedics will consider taking unprotected industrial action after Fair Work Australia today terminated their right to take protected action and ordered that proposed four-hour stoppages not go ahead tomorrow.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has endorsed a model put forward by the Wilcox review for its oversighting of the Building Industry Inspectorate's coercive powers, but has called for more resources to enable it to properly perform the task.
ABCC launches two new proceedings; CFMEU wins right to inspect records; NSW energy call centre workers walk off; and paramedics dispute expected to be back before FWA on Monday.
The BCA has expressed "great concern" at the Federal Government's construction industry bill going against the recommendations of the Wilcox inquiry by allowing coercive powers to be switched off on projects with good IR records and says its concerns are compounded by a paucity of detail on how the process will work.
A Macedonian-born supervisor who won an indirect racial discrimination claim against a company that demoted him because of poor English literacy will have his case part-heard again.
Constitutional lawyer George Williams has welcomed the Federal Government's safeguards on the use of coercive powers in its construction industry IR bill, but argues that those powers can still not be justified.
Victorian paramedics have agreed not impose a ban on the use of portable communication equipment after their employer made a last-minute bid to terminate the action on the grounds that it threatened public health and safety.
The Federal Government's amendments to age and disability discrimination laws - which make it easier for employees to bring discrimination complaints but at the same time extend employers' "inherent requirements" defence for disability discrimination - have received Royal Assent.
