The AFPC has attracted a raft of submissions from churches on its first minimum pay determination, providing its chair and prominent Anglican Ian Harper with some challenging views on religious approaches to wages policy.
SA Unions says child labour laws needed; Vale Phillipa Weeks; Esso workers's safety concern was reasonable, says tribunal; Queensland IR minister to retire; and Tasmanian parliamentary committee to scrutinise Work Choices.
The OWS's investigation into the union movement's television ad campaign was again in the political spotlight today: ACTU secretary Greg Combet wrote to director Nick Wilson seeking an explanation as to how his office's report was leaked to the Daily Telegraph; Opposition Leader Kim Beazley referred to the OWS as "snivelling liars"; and the Prime Minister John Howard told a party room meeting that the Government needed to be more aggressive in attacking the "bodgy" claims the ACTU was making.
The AIRC has today refused to grant a secret ballot order to the AMWU, after finding it hadn't genuinely tried to reach agreement when it included prohibited content in its bargaining claim at a Geelong engineering company.
Private childcare providers have asked the Fair Pay Commission to provide no minimum pay increase in the sector because of recent substantial work value rises, while hospitality employers want a reduction in casual loading and say minimum wage workers have already received a substantial safety net rise via the tax cuts that took effect on July 1.
Public school teachers in the ACT will hold rolling stoppages from next week after again voting overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in their second secret ballot conducted under Work Choices.
An AIRC full bench has found that the ANF wasn't pattern bargaining against two Melbourne aged care facilities run by a single entity, in a decision that makes it clear that the way unions initiate bargaining periods will influence their prospects of having a secret ballot granted.
A major logistics company has been ordered to pay $25,000 in damages to a Muslim former employee who was called "bombchucker" and "Osama Bin Laden" by work colleagues.
The ACTU has launched a new radio advertising campaign that reinforces its message that Work Choices will make it harder for working families and young people to get a fair go.
The DEWR is to further examine whether the Federal Government's independent contractors legislation in any way undermines existing protections for outworkers.
