In a response to the ALP's forthcoming phase-out of AWAs, Telstra is offering new five-year AWAs to thousands of staff already employed on the individual contracts but with earlier expiry dates.
Hockey says Work Choices dead as Turnbull waits for detail of ALP bill; McIlwain resigns from Workplace Authority; Ron Monaghan new QCU head; John Holland goes to Federal Court to restrict union entry; and State funeral for Bernie Banton.
Licenced aircraft maintenance engineers might have authority to take protected industrial action - including stopworks - against Qantas in its critical Christmas-New Year trading period, after the AIRC today approved their union's bid for a secret ballot.
The SDA says a successful unlawful dismissal case that took 18 months and cost $50,000 highlights the injustice of the Work Choices unfair dismissal regime for workers in companies employing fewer than 100 employees, and underlines the need for the incoming Rudd Government to immediately reintroduce a "fair and balanced" system.
Qantas and its 3,000 long-haul flight attendants have secured a new five-year union agreement that substantially reduces employment costs for new cabin crew, opening the way for 2,000 new onshore jobs, while improving conditions for existing employees.
Unions will be asking the ALP to address gaps in its transitional IR arrangements to ensure no employee is further disadvantaged when they get to meet with the newly-elected Rudd Government.
A host of former unionists are set to become new MPs and senators in the incoming Rudd government, including former ACTU secretary Greg Combet (Charlton, NSW), ex-AWU national secretary Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Victoria), former AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron (Senate, NSW), and ex-ACTU assistant secretary Richard Marles (Corio, Victoria).
Unlike vanquished Prime Minister John Howard and his former Treasurer Peter Costello, two of the three contenders to lead the Opposition have no track record on IR - opening up the possibility of the Liberal Party shifting its position towards the centre as it seeks to move away from the perceived electoral liability of Work Choices.
The incoming Rudd Government will take transitional legislation for its IR changes to the next sitting of federal parliament early next year to ban new AWAs, define its 10 minimum employment standards and start the AIRC on the award simplification process.
The new Rudd Labor Government will probably have to negotiate with cross-bench senators to pass its changes to Work Choices, while the Coalition’s national director has blamed the legislation for the Howard Government’s defeat.
