The High Court has today refused the ACTU and ALP's bid to halt the Federal Government's $20m advertising campaign to promote its second wave IR changes.
Rebates of up to $1,000 for vacation care puts Hydro in the running for work and family award; Centrelink workers begin rolling stoppages on Monday in support of 12.5% over three years wage claim; Defence members win five days dedicated carer's leave; and economist says the “too high” minimum wage an inefficient way to raise incomes of poorer Australians.
The Queensland branch of the ETU has negotiated pay rises averageing about 10% a year with 20 contractors employing around 1,500 members, in deals that exploit the State's shortage of qualified electricians.
Labour economist Mark Wooden - a long-time supporter of the Howard Government's workplace relations agenda - has sided with ACTU secretary Greg Combet, saying the proposed second wave IR changes are biased against collective agreements.
Howard again refuses to guarantee workers won't be worse off; Crosby's new book says unions must lift their annual fees to ACTU's 2003 benchmark of $468; Male working lives cut by ten years between 1966 and 1991, AFPC to cut wages, says Gregory; and PC head says restrictions on labour hire and casual employment will hamper employment of mature workers.
Big American prison management company GEO Group has failed in its bid to terminate a bargaining period for prison guards at its Fulham Prison in Victoria.
Employment Advocate Peter McIlwain has defended his office and the AWAs it approves from union and academic claims of exploitation in submissions to the Senate inquiry into industrial agreements.
Family First Senator Steve Fielding today called for an inquiry into penalty rates, including how to compensate workers who could lose overtime and shift allowances under the Federal Government's second wave industrial legislation.
