A cessation of industrial action this morning by LHMU members appears to have thwarted the first application for orders under Work Choices' s496 to halt industrial action at the Sydney site of international packaging and coatings manufacturer Valspar.
The Howard Government today accused Labor and unions of "irresponsible fear-mongering" for reporting claims of unwarranted dismissals since the commencement of the remaining Work Choices changes on Monday.
The AIRC would seek to be more user-friendly and responsive to its users' needs in the wake of the Work Choices changes, AIRC President Justice Geoffrey Giudice said yesterday.
A dispute between Qantas and its international pilots' union has been the first case listed to be heard by the AIRC under the new Work Choices legislative regime.
Union membership numbers have increased to more than 1.9m - the highest level since 1998 - but union density has continued to decline, reaching a new low of 22.4%. Trend data produced by academic David Peetz, though, is positive for unions, as it shows the latest membership increase is the biggest since 1989 and that the decline in density has almost been arrested.