The FWC, in approving a rule change that permits the CFMMEU to draw its national secretary and president from the same division, has rejected mining and energy division warnings that it hands the construction and general division "absolute and unfettered control".
South Australia's new Premier, Peter Malinauskas, takes office on a platform that includes introducing jail time for the worst cases of wage theft, creating an offence of industrial manslaughter and extending labour hire regulation across all industries.
The FWC has given an energy company until tomorrow to reinstate a Queensland-based FIFO worker who proved unable to return to WA in time for his roster at the Montara offshore oilfield during the McGowan Government's rapidly-changing COVID-19 restrictions.
Building on previous decisions taking a worker's mental health into account when allowing late unfair dismissal applications to proceed, the FWC has granted a time extension to a seed picker ensnared in her partner's breakdown.
The FWC has for the second time this month stressed that unions cannot leave any room for ambiguity when notifying employers of protected industrial action, pulling the pin on a strike by helicopter maintenance engineers working in the north-west.
Bargained pay rises in the December quarter remained flat in the private sector at 2.7% a year, equal to one of the measures of underlying inflation, while they dropped to 2.3% in the public sector, dragging the economy-wide rise down to 2.6%, according to the Attorney-General's Department.
A senior FWC member has laid out the tribunal's arsenal for dealing with those who try to coerce or engage in disorderly or vexatious conduct after a worker accused his employer's lawyer of perjury, deception and having unclean hands in connection with "dirty deeds for the dark overlords".
A four-member FWC full bench has overturned the reinstatement of a long-serving train driver sacked after he divulged he faced criminal charges for high-range drink driving, ruling that a presidential member failed to properly consider the connection between his out-of-hours conduct and his safety-critical job.
As Telstra becomes the latest to face a class action on behalf of employees refusing to comply with COVID-19 vaccination policies, more than a 100 mainly healthcare, education and construction workers are discontinuing their challenge to Victoria's vaccine mandate.
CFMMEU mining and energy division Queensland district president Stephen Smyth has denied allegations that he misused his union credit card, maintaining that he repaid some items while others were legitimate work-related expenses.
