The FWC has confirmed that stopping work to post on social media about bargaining can be protected industrial action, even if it might breach workplace policy.
The Albanese Government's legislative changes to "close the labour hire loophole" will rely on aggrieved parties seeking orders from the FWC to ensure on-hire workers are paid the same rates as those in the host employer's enterprise agreement.
Employers face ten years in prison and maximum fines of $8 million or up to three times the stolen sum if it exceeds the cap, under new criminal sanctions in the Albanese Government's "Closing Loopholes" legislation, to be introduced into Federal Parliament tomorrow.
Workers at Chevron's Wheatstone downstream and Gorgon operations have overwhelmingly voted down the company's proposed agreement, ahead of protected action that is due to start late next week.
The FWC has issued two consent orders in one of its first s-xual harassment dispute cases, in which teenage parties in the proceedings have agreed not to discuss an "inappropriate" video recording, with the viewing or circulation of it possibly constituting a criminal act.
IR and employment law academics have welcomed the Albanese Government's "critically important" decision to introduce a definition of "employee" into the Fair Work Act but questions remain over the creation of a lower-rights "employee-like" category for gig workers.
A signage company that sacked a worker via its director telling him to "get the f-ck out of my life" has failed to convince the FWC of its "extraordinary proposal" to spread his compensation payments over three and a half years.
The Albanese Government's third tranche of IR legislation will define employment based on the former common law test overturned by the High Court's judgment last year in Jamsek, providing one of the building blocks for the FWC to exercise its new power to regulate "employee-like" work, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said today.
A major meat processor that told workers a proposed deal would boost their pay while reducing the rates for future recruits has failed to win approval after the FWC found some fresh starters could in fact earn far more while others would experience a "repugnant" reduction, while the umpire also suggested if the new genuine agreement principles applied, it might not comply.
