The High Court has today handed down three long-awaited decisions on the reach of the NSW unfair contract provisions, holding in all of them that the NSW IRC did not have jurisdiction in the matters that had been before it. The significance of the rulings, however, has been substantially undermined by both Work Choices and NSW amending legislation.
Freehills partner Graeme Watson is to be appointed to the AIRC as a vice president, to replace Iain Ross, who resigned to join law firm Corrs earlier this year.
The AEC has today declared the second successful strike ballot under the Work Choices legislation, after an overwhelming majority of AMWU members endorsed industrial action at Amcor's Kyabram food can manufacturing plant in Victoria.
Employers who have made Australian workers redundant would be barred from sponsoring foreign workers to perform the same job for 12 months, under a Labor plan to stop what it says is widespread abuse of the skilled migration program.
The first enterprise agreement for the ACTU’s overseas humanitarian aid agency formalises a 75-hour "flexible fortnight" arrangement, preserves a flat pay structure and provides for annual wage negotiations rather than fixed increases.
The NSW IRC State Wage Case full bench has today lashed out at Canberra for failing to comply with directions to provide its views on the quantum of state unions' wage claim, saying that if Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews doesn't step into line it might reverse the decision to allow his intervention in the case.
The maritime unions' challenge to the validity of a Work Choices regulation that puts permit ships with foreign crew out of reach of Australian IR law will stay before the High Court - but it won't be dealt with until the court has delivered its judgment in the States/unions case.
Annual growth of pay rates excluding bonuses has eased in both the private and public sectors, with ABS data today showing an annual trend increase of 4% in the 12 months to March and 0.9% in the quarter.
Another application for a secret ballot for strike action has failed for practical reasons as the AIRC again recommended its mediation role as an alternative to industrial action.
