Victorian CFMEU secretary John Setka has issued a guarded apology for comments at Tuesday's union rally in Melbourne, saying that the thought of going to ABCC inspectors' homes to "expose" the work they did was "reprehensible".
Deputy President Val Gostencnik has published the reasons behind his recent decision to overlook a "general rule" applied to the granting of entry permits, maintaining that it "bears all the hallmarks of arbitrariness" and has no regard to the individual circumstances and experience of applicants.
A decision on the inclusion of paid domestic violence leave in all modern awards drew closer yesterday as the Federal Court began the task of grappling with the fallout from FWC Vice President Graeme Watson's resignation from the adjudicating bench.
United Voice has launched its Federal Court challenge to the FWC's decision to cut Sunday penalty rates, arguing that the Commission "misconceived" its obligation to uphold workers' living standards.
The FWC has cleared the road for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to continue disciplinary action against a suspended firefighter who repeatedly made threatening and profane comments on public social media channels, including the MFB's own.
Two unions are poised to lodge legal challenges to penalty rate cuts as early as tomorrow after the Fair Work Commission issued determinations on transitional arrangements in the retail and hospitality sectors.
The HSU says it is unlikely to pursue former national secretary and ex-Labor MP Craig Thomson for the repayment of about $378,000 because it would incur further legal costs with little chance of recovering the money.
The FWC has declined to issue anti-bullying orders despite finding the allegations proved, reasoning that the employer had sufficiently reduced the risk of further incidents by changing the antagonist's job to ensure minimal contact between the parties.
The fight by the union movement and Labor against the looming cuts to penalty rates is set to swing into the Federal Court after a crucial parliamentary vote last night.
The Federal Labor Opposition has condemned the threat by Victorian CFMEU leader John Setka to campaign against ABCC inspectors in their neighbourhoods, comments which have since been referred to the police.
