Eleven maritime workers who face losing their jobs to a replacement workforce employed under a non-union agreement are continuing a five-day occupation of a vessel docked in Darwin harbour until they are reinstated, while the chair of the company that owns the ship is making his way to Australia for a meeting tomorrow.
In a series of recent decisions, the AIRC has largely replicated state IRC demarcation orders for unions moving into the federal system, maintaining the Queensland AWU's coverage rights at major companies.
The Rudd Government will release draft legislation for its 10 national employment standards when it introduces its transitional legislation to parliament in two weeks time, according to Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard.
The Rudd Government will ask the Productivity Commission to consider the merits of a national paid maternity leave scheme, as part of an inquiry into options for providing better support for working parents with newborn children.
AWU national secretary Paul Howes is asking the Rudd Government to redirect half its promised tax cuts into superannuation as part of a union plan for an anti-inflationary wages policy.
The Federal Court has dismissed a bid by four construction industry union officials to stop an ABCC investigation into the alleged intimidation of two Bovis Lend Lease managers who were witnesses in an AIRC matter.
Developing collective bargaining strategies within a broad context and restoring wages and conditions to high AWA sectors are two areas more than 200 union leaders will focus on in a three-day ACTU leaders' forum that begins in Canberra tomorrow.
The Rudd Government has begun to dismantle the Howard Government's approach to bargaining in the federal public sector, with new bargaining guidelines set to be released next month, unions winning better access to workplaces and DEEWR committing to negotiate a union collective agreement.
Jetstar will engage all new cabin crew through a new wholly-owned labour supply subsidiary, after securing agreement from the domestic flight attendants' union.
