Employee organisations might find fresh impetus to campaign for bargaining fees, after new RBA research found that declining union density has not reduced wage growth because of the continuing role of unions in negotiating enterprise deals that cover both members and non-members.
Faced with a "byzantine" and bewilderingly complex bid to recoup millions of dollars in damages, the Federal Court has found the CFMMEU organised unlawful bans at the Port Botany container terminal in 2017 but suggested further mediation on relief to take a load off public resources.
Aviation unions are threatening to run an adverse action case against Qantas for making the payment of a $2000 cash bonus conditional on securing new post-wage-freeze enterprise agreements.
The FWC has brokered a three-month truce between DP World Australia and the CFMMEU's MUA division under which the parties will resume bargaining and adopt a "neutral media stance".
An experienced Qantas flight attendant who surreptitiously downed a quarter of a bottle of vodka on an 11-hour flight has failed to overturn her dismissal, with the FWC agreeing with the airline that she breached critical safety standards before trying to lie her way out of trouble.
After 17 years as leader of Together Queensland and its predecessor the QPSU, Alex Scott is facing a challenge from his deputy Irene Monro, who along with a former deputy has been seeking answers as to why some employees' and officials' emails had allegedly been systematically monitored by the union before and after a 2015 merger.
The CFMMEU's code of conduct requiring officers to "publicly defend" colleagues, refrain from casting aspersions and deal with all concerns internally forms the basis of the union's defence in a court case involving two former organisers who claim they were ousted for whistleblowing in a media interview.
"Two Longs" case headed to High Court; Hanna to appeal document destruction finding; United Voice's "massive" penalty rates campaign; Australia Post compensation claims deliberately slowed: Investigation.
The CFMMEU is challenging a finding that casual loading paid to a wrongly classified employee could be offset against his Fair Entitlements Guarantee claim when the company went bust, arguing that his contract of employment used for the calculations is "unlawful and/or against public policy".
The Morrison Government in this year's Budget has allocated almost $27 million over four years to establish a national labour hire registration scheme and funded a dedicated sham contracting unit within the Fair Work Ombudsman.
