Liberal Party leadership challenger Peter Dutton has confirmed his support for cutting penalty rates, while trying to put forward other policy differences with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
As Woolworths, the SDA, AMIEU and AWU look to lock in an in-principle deal increasing penalty rates, delivering a potential $1100 sign-on bonus and grandfathering base rates, RAFFWU is holding out for an extra $1 billion it claims is owed by the retailer.
Security giant Wilson is within its rights to avoid paying penalty rates to security guards by allocating their overtime to Sundays, the Federal Court has ruled.
A Victorian parliamentary inquiry has called for a legislated roll-back of cuts to penalty rates in the retail, hospitality and pharmacy industries, rather than a process of take-home pay orders issued by the Fair Work Commission.
Hair and beauty industry employers are seeking in a submission lodged today that the FWC cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates by a similar amount to the reductions ordered for retail and pharmacy sectors in last year’s landmark ruling.
The Federal Circuit Court has levelled a $75,000 fine and is expected to order more than $25,000 in compensation against the director of a liquidated supermarkets enterprise who withheld about $450,000 in union dues, superannuation and Easter rates from more than 200 employees.
Labor's audacious bid to restore penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors by piggy-backing one of the Federal Government's own IR bills fell at the first hurdle today, when rebel Nationals MP George Christensen indicated he could not support legislation that failed to protect businesses from back-pay claims.
The FWC has confirmed the retention of existing Sunday penalty rates for restaurant workers, a full bench noting employers' inability to muster persuasive evidence to support claims cuts would boost jobs.
The Federal Court has tossed out a challenge to an FWC full bench decision, describing confidence in the administration of justice as a "significant factor" in finding Energy Australia's case an abuse of process.