A Federal Court full bench has overturned a magistrate's decision to grant long service leave pay to a long-term casual worker after finding his enterprise agreement and award "covered the field" to exclude a new state LSL law for casuals.
The Tristar inquiry began in earnest this morning, with employee and union witnesses set to give evidence, after the company failed on Friday in its second attempt to halt proceedings.
ACTU secretary Greg Combet has ruled out running for federal parliament for the time being, and reaffirmed the unions' commitment to reinstating unfair dismissal laws on small business
ETU offers to help workers leave greenfields deal employer; Bridgestone begins lifting stand-downs; Call centre workers reject AWAs, says NUW; Queensland Time's Up campaign on the move; and Worker replaced by boss's son, says CFMEU
Recent AIRC decisions have approved union applications for ballots for industrial action despite employer objections, including to the appointment of ballot agents other than the AEC, but postal votes have been ordered in two cases – either to maximise the franchise, or maintain secrecy requirements.
A full bench of the NSW Industrial Court has reserved its decision on a crucial case that will test whether state industrial tribunals have the power under Work Choices to make awards for matters excluded from federal coverage, such as long service leave.
The NSW IRC's inquiry into the availability of work at Tristar will proceed to hearings, after it yesterday rejected the company's contention that Work Choices stymied it.
The CPSU says the OWS is delaying offering a non-union collective agreement to around 100 of its employees because they would vote against it, as most of them want a union agreement instead.
