Unions have described as wrong in law and alarmist the AiG's warning that signing up to enterprise agreements containing unfair dismissal provisions would leave employers more exposed than they currently are under federal law.
Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews told a legal conference last week that the Government will reveal details of his second wave IR changes "in a few weeks", well ahead of the planned tabling of the legislation in October.
The Supreme Court of NSW has upheld a decision by the state's Transport Appeals Board stopping a former State Rail Authority employee from appealing against his dismissal for sexual harassment.
EDS Australia has lost a ballot to renew its 170LK "People Agreement" after a vigorous union campaign for a "no" vote by APESMA and the ASU in South Australia, where the IT giant's outsourcing agreements with the State Government are up for grabs.
Coca-Cola Amatil is preparing to boost its ability to attract workers as the labour shortage continues, with plans to introduce a new "employer brand" and implement an employee referral program.
In an important ruling on the reach of the NSW IRC unfair contracts jurisdiction into the domain of commercial contracts, the State's Court of Appeal majority has ruled that a large, multimillion dollar McDonald's franchise arrangement didn't have the necessary connection with the performance of work.
Employers who sign enterprise agreements that provide for private arbitration of unfair dismissal claims could expose themselves to substantial fines and damages, in addition to compensation and lost wages, according to senior employment lawyer Ron Baragry.
The High Court's Justice Michael Kirby has called for Government spending to be more transparent and accountable, and said today during the ACTU/ALP IR ad case that "that wouldn't be a bad principle for this court to lay down".
Construction employers seeking to tender for federally-funded construction work will have to revise their certified agreements to comply with extensive new revisions to the implementation guidelines for the national construction code that take effect from October 1. Changes include allowing employers to cash out employees' entitlements such as annual leave and overtime.
