The LHMU has won an order for a strike ballot despite an employer's objections that its bargaining notice was invalid because it incorrectly names other unions as parties to the proposed agreement.
Unions grapple with climate change, jobs; NSW Government intervenes in local government award bid; Ludwig says councils taking a risk in declaring themselves constitutional corporations; Abbott calls for investigation into Currawong sale; and Changed man wins job back.
The OEA is considering new methodologies for analysing AWAs but has no plans to resume collecting data on the loss of protected conditions under the individual contracts, a Senate Estimates committee has been told.
Women in non-managerial jobs under pre-Work Choices AWAs are receiving less than 80% of the earnings of their male counterparts, and the disparity is likely to grow under the new workplace laws, according to new academic research.
A month after the ETU was fined $125,000, the operator of the Loy Yang B power station has been penalised $120,000 for breaching the Trade Practices Act, in an action initiated by the ACCC.
The federal ALP's forthcoming IR policy will be focused on enterprise bargaining based on "simplified" awards and new legislated minimum standards, according to Shadow IR Minister Julia Gillard.
Unions can play an important role in pushing employers to protect job security by addressing climate change, while the coal-dependent NSW power generation industry might have a dim future because of its limited potential to adopt "clean coal" measures, according to Australian of the Year, scientist Tim Flannery.
A new paper by IR academic David Peetz confirms that Work Choices is cutting productivity and real wages and unfairly removing workers' employment conditions, according to ACTU secretary Greg Combet.
