Court allows lay advocate to represent one of "Perth 107"; Minimum pay rise payable from December 1 - updated pay scales now available; AFPC seeking submissions for 2007 minimum wage decision; Safety net case for transitional employees begins tomorrow; Workers offline: Goodbye to groundbreaking union internet publication; Pilots union re-joins ACTU; and New website for ACTU.
It is possible that the Office of the Employee Advocate deliberately restricted leave to all of its employees on the ACTU's day of action against Work Choices so it could stop CPSU members from attending the protests, a Federal Court full bench has found.
The Senate has this afternoon passed both the Federal Government's amended independent contractors legislation and its amendments to Work Choices - meaning they can now be put to the Lower House before Parliament rises at the end of next week for the Christmas break.
The OWS has begun investigating complaints by two under-18 retail workers that they were put under pressure to sign AWAs that had no provision for parental consent and were then paid under the discounted rates of the individual deals, despite refusing to sign.
The work-and-spend cycle is one explanation why employees work long hours - though not all those who fall into the category see themselves as trapped there, a new study shows.
The OWS is investigating an AWA offer to a former farmhand on a cotton farm near the NSW/Queensland border owned by potential National Party candidate and former NFF president Peter Corish.
More than 100,000 people protested against Work Choices today at nationwide events where unions stepped up their campaign for a vote against the Howard Government at next year's federal election.
The Iemma Government is preparing to trial new procurement guidelines that require suppliers of goods and services to comply with state awards and meet a no disadvantage test.
The Howard Government's proposed amendments to its Independent Contractors Bill haven't pleased one of the key interest groups that pushed for the legislation, and it is now calling for the removal of Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews from the portfolio.
