The Democrats have made it clear that they won't countenance support for the Government's legislation giving small businesses a blanket exemption from severance pay obligations. However, they are ready before they lose the Senate balance of power in July to widen the current grounds for excusing small employers from paying.
The Howard Government has given ground on its right of entry legislation, conceding it needs softening and that the proposal to limit unions to one visit to each employer every six months is too restrictive, but Government senators have savaged the Bill's poor drafting and say further amendments are needed.
Paid maternity leave in the UK will increase to nine months by 2007 and to 12 months within five years, under a proposal by the Blair Government, which is expected to go electors in May.
A Government-controlled parliamentary committee has today recommended further award simplification, removing restrictions on casual and part-time work from awards and agreements and axing FBT on childcare to improve participation in the workforce as the population ages.
In its last submission before it changes the minimum wage fixing process, the Federal Government has responded to the ACTU's claim for a $26.60-a-week increase in award rates by backing an $11-a-week increase for rates up to C10 in the metal industry award.
The looming federal IR changes are not radical - they're merely a logical evolution of the current system, Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews told a Gold Coast conference today, while the Labor and Democrats IR spokespersons suggested the Government should revise its strategy for achieving a unitary IR system.
Despite being under pressure from the ACTU to withdraw, the joint union organiser for the Pilbara, Will Tracey, says he will go ahead with his plan to run for the AWU's WA state secretary position.
The AMWU is holding delegates meetings this week and next throughout Australia on the Howard Government's coming IR changes, and the union's response to them.
Recent AIRC costs decisions show the dangers of going ahead with unfair dismissal cases that have poor prospects of success, while an AIRC full bench has rejected an Australian Taxation Office employee's bid to have a $19,000 unfair dismissal compensation payment replaced with an order for reinstatement.
