Employees who claim constructive dismissal under Work Choices bear the onus of establishing that their employer forced them to resign, a senior AIRC member has found.
Independent schools in NSW and the IEU have agreed in principle to pay rises averaging 19% over the next four years, with the introduction of a new quality appraisal system for teachers with less than seven years' experience.
ACTU's Combet to feature in tonight's Australian Story; Former AIRC Deputy President Joe Isaacs to speak out on Work Choices this evening; and NSW and Victoria to harmonise their workers' compensation schemes.
The ACCC has served notice on the CFMEU of a Federal Court action against the union and a senior official alleging they colluded with a building company to terminate a subcontractor in breach of secondary boycott laws.
The Senate committee inquiring into the independent contractors legislation has recommended changes to maintain state protections for clothing workers, saying DEWR has indicated the government is likely to dump Part 4 of the main bill covering contract outworkers in the industry.
A survey of the first 30 secret ballots for industrial action declared since Work Choices became law shows nearly all were voted up with unanimous or overwhelming support from employees, usually by an attendance ballot within two days at the workplace. All but two of the ballots were conducted by the AEC.
The OEA says it is making collective agreements lodged since Work Choices commenced on March 27 available upon request following public criticism of its failure to publish agreements on the internet as the AIRC used to do.
Despite Work Choices over-riding state IR law for constitutional corporations, the NSW IRC has listed a bargaining dispute for arbitration, ruling that the company's failure to bargain in good faith as directed before the new federal laws were enacted meant dispute resolution proceedings commenced in the state jurisdiction could continue.
