The IR changes announced by Prime Minister John Howard on Friday plus his flagged amendments on duress and transmission of business are expected to be introduced into Parliament by the end of the month, Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said today.
Fairfax Sydney journalists return to work; SDA's Don Farrell to seek ALP preselection for Senate; Ron McCallum to feature in television program on Sunday; and Bastard Boys to air on Sunday and Monday.
An AIRC full bench has found that it has no power under Work Choices to bind a union or its members to a federal award, in a ruling that appears to leave some workers exposed to falling back on the legislation's five minimum conditions.
The AIRC has ordered Fairfax journalists and photographers in Sydney to end an unprotected wildcat strike that began yesterday, and return to work at 1pm. If they return, he has directed the company to meet with union representatives at 4pm this afternoon.
Logistical problems prevented Labor consulting its business advisor, Rod Eddington, about its IR policy before the ALP’s national conference, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd claimed yesterday.
The Federal Budget papers reveal that the Howard Government has paid out a quarter of a million dollars in the past year under its much-heralded assistance scheme for potential unlawful dismissal applicants, and $74,000 for parties to use alternative dispute resolution providers.
The Howard Government’s 2007 Budget doesn’t appear to contain any significant changes in IR funding, instead providing tax cuts to encourage low-paid workers to participate in the workforce, as well as new money for skills development and child care.
On the first day that federal politicians were back in Canberra since the ALP released its IR platform and the Howard Government announced its changes to the agreement-making safety net, both sides were in attack mode on IR.
Newspaper advertisements today are directing IR practitioners to a non-existent Workplace Authority that doesn't have the legal backing to provide advice on the Government's proposed new fairness test, according to Flinders University Professor of Law, Andrew Stewart.
The AWU has been conditionally fined $40,000, while one of its organisers and three delegates have been fined $4,000 each for an illegal two-day strike at Roche Mining (JR)'s mineral sands plant at Hamilton in Victoria in March last year.
