A case before the Industrial Relations Commission today illustrates some of the risks for employers of going down the non-union enterprise agreement route in industries with strong unions.
Employers, rather than unions, have led the led the way in pattern bargaining, winning major concessions as a result, according to a leading IR academic.
Workers supporting a collective agreement at BHP's Pilbara operations are threatening to re-commence industrial action if the company doesn't substantially revise its proposed collective agreement that mirrors individual contracts signed by nearly half the workforce.
NSW Premier Bob Carr plans to talk to Labor premiers in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania about a common approach to reining-in labour hire and independent contracting arrangements.
New Zealand is about to repeal the 1991 Employment Contracts Act (ECA), the radical legislation centering on common law employment contracts that stripped away the country's IR regulation and became one of the significant models for deregulation in Australia.
A new analysis of data from 400 major US and Canadian-based public companies has found that 360-degree-feedback and training and sharing profits with employees can lead to a significant decrease in returns to shareholders.
Employers who unduly pressure employees or prospective employees to sign Australian Workplace Agreements could be exposed to duress claims, following a ruling by a full bench of the Federal Court that substantially widens the definition of duress.
Victorian construction unions and a breakaway group of major building contractors are close to finalising a deal that will deliver building workers a 36-hour week and a 15% to 16% pay rise over three years.
A leaked Telstra internal memo from has revealed that in the telco's drive to shed 10,000 jobs, it will give special treatment to employees who have signed individual contracts.