PM John Howard has defended the proposed new 100-employee threshold for unfair dismissal claims, saying the Coalition never identified a particular number during last year's election campaign, while the ACTU has today launched a booklet that highlights the unfair dismissal experiences of employees working in companies with fewer than 100 workers.
An insurance brokerage has been ordered to pay more than $10,000 to a former employee it discriminated against by demoting then sacking him due to the disabilities of Attention Deficit Disorder and depression.
Pacific National unions have brought the company's operations almost to a standstill, after starting a 24-hour strike this morning over stalled bargaining negotiations.
Cole Bill passes Lower House, redundancy bill on next week; Andrews conflict between public and policy positions on long service, tells OEA to be careful; Queensland introduces minimum conditions legislation; HEWRR legislation referred to Senate Committee; Rally for sacked AWA worker; and Howard defends Boeing's refusal to negotiate collective agreement.
In an important ruling, an AIRC full bench has confirmed the Commission has the power to appoint external experts to conduct investigations and gather evidence that can then be used in private arbitration of disputes over enterprise agreements under s170LW of the Workplace Relations Act.
Eight months after their last agreement expired and following a spate of industrial action in a politically-charged environment, DEWR and the CPSU have struck an in-principle agreement on their next three-year deal.
The impact of trade practices law in employment matters continues to expand, with the WA Supreme Court finding three executives of an AFL club were accessories to a breach of the Trade Practices Act when they misled an assistant coach in negotiations for his job.
An employer has been ordered to pay $1,000 damages to a former colleague over a "bear hug", after the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal found it constituted sexual harassment under the State's Anti-Discrimination Act.
