The Prime Minister, John Howard, today said it was "nonsense" to suggest the Federal Government's IR reforms would "chisel" workers out of Anzac Day, Christmas Day or other public holidays, but refused to say how they would be protected.
The High Court has today refused on technical grounds to issue an interlocutory injunction to stop the Howard Government continuing its spending on a $20 million advertising campaign to promote its second wave IR changes.
The Victorian construction industry's go-early agreement has today been ticked off by DEWR as code compliant, while the CFMEU (NSW branch) has redrafted its latest pattern deal to address DEWR-identified breaches. In both states, the agreements retain provisions that the department warns "may cause breaches through their practical application".
Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews says he still expects to introduce his second wave package to Parliament in October, despite the massive task involved in rewriting the IR legislation from scratch.
An AIRC full bench majority has certified a new s170LC multi-employer agreement covering more than 750 journalists at more than 2,000 weekly non-daily newspapers across Australia.
The USA's biggest union, the 1.8 million strong SEIU, is better positioned to build its international alliances - including in Australia - after its disaffiliation from the US labour movement's peak body, the AFL-CIO, yesterday.
Inflation edges up to 2.5%; Family First raises concerns about adequacy of proposed new minimum standards; Craig Johnston now a CFMEU site delegate; Poll shows public opposed to dismissal changes; Nelson seeks feedback on $83m incentive package for workplace change in tertiary education; Textile union says prosecutions could be hampered by second wave; and One in five workers believes they could use sick leave to care for ill pets.
Pilkington's automotive glass division has returned to full production, ending supply threats to domestic car manufacturers, after workers yesterday ended a four-day strike yesterday and today lifted bans that had been imposed in pursuit of a new redundancy deal.
