ACTU secretary Sally McManus has declared "it's time” for unions to jettison their three-decades-old defensive stance and boldly take advantage of Labor’s IR law reforms to rebuild membership.
In a case that yesterday earned a mention in Parliament, the FWC has overlooked an employer's reasons for sacking a volatile employee to find that his own evidence that he was "not right" to return to work because mental health issues justified the dismissal.
Productivity in the private sector has increased in the past three quarters on the back of a reduction in hours worked, while real labour costs have dropped for the past two quarters, according to ABS national accounts data released today.
Employers say they are approving most flexible hours and work from home requests, according to a FWC-commissioned modern awards review survey that suggests the tribunal might explore entrenching a right to fully flexible arrangements for work that can be performed remotely.
Shadow workplace relations minister Michaelia Cash has quizzed FWC general manager Murray Furlong on a "potentially serious" bullying or harassment allegation involving a tribunal member, and has questioned the ability of a former gang member to retain his entry permit while facing criminal charges.
In a landmark ruling today on franchisors' IR compliance obligations, the Federal Court has imposed a $1.44 million fine on a coffee chain for its franchisees' underpayments and record-keeping breaches.
Inadequate award descriptors and lack of opportunity to progress through the award classification system have contributed to rife underclassification in the social and community services sector, a new survey has found.
A FWC full bench has extended a 22-year-old zombie agreement's drop-dead date for a second time to enable bargaining for a replacement agreement to continue.
The FWC has cleared the way for Antoinette Lattouf to take her unlawful termination case against the ABC to court, finding that despite it paying the casual radio presenter for her full planned five-day stint, it ended the employment relationship when it took her "off-air" on day three.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has won $28 million over the next four years to continue to pursue underpayments by large corporate employers, while its workforce has been boosted by 16 to 970.
