An IRC full bench has partly acceded to the ACTU's reasonable hours application, granting a right for employees to refuse to work overtime where it would result in unreasonable working hours.
Despite the ALP's resounding victory in the Tasmanian Lower House election on Saturday, it is unlikely to succeed with significant IR reform in its second term because it lacks a majority in the Upper House.
The Australian Industry Group has lodged a High Court challenge against the Federal Court's Electrolux ruling, which gave the green light to unions taking protected action in pursuit of bargaining fees.
The battle between the national office of the AMWU and Workers First faction leader Craig Johnston was continuing in the Federal Court this afternoon, with Johnston seeking an end to his suspension and an injunction against the hearing of the internal charges against him.
Unions Tasmania has received mixed responses to its Fairness at Work agenda from major political parties, ahead of the State election tomorrow which Labor is tipped to win.
In one of the biggest rejections ever in public sector bargaining, DEWR employees have voted overwhelmingly against management's offer of a non-union agreement –with 90.47% saying "no".
Four years ago on Sunday, Rio Tinto subsidiary Pacific Coal dismissed 16 workers at Blair Athol coal mine in central Queensland. In what the CFMEU (mining & energy division) describes as "outrageous", their unfair dismissal claims remain unresolved – a record under the federal sphere.
The Federal Court has prevented a dismissed academic who had already lost his unfair dismissal case from pursuing the University of NSW again by alleging his sacking was in breach of its certified agreement and common law contract with him.
The Victorian Government has announced plans to launch a work life strategy by the end of the year, in a move that adds weight to its support for a national paid maternity leave scheme.
