In a move the CPSU maintains undermines the "selection by merit" principle that underpins public sector appointments, the DEWR has become the first Commonwealth department to make AWAs a condition of engagement for new employees.
A worker who assaulted a co-worker, crashed his car in an unauthorised area and lied in his pre-employment medical had "milked" his employer's tolerance and compassion for his role as a primary carer, the NSW IRC has found in throwing out his unfair dismissal claim.
AIRC full bench reverses Blair Athol reinstatements; Child care directors in the ACT and Victoria get pay rise of up to $120; Federal Court throws out FSU challenge to CBA redundancies; and inflation expectations up sharply, while wage rise expectations subdued.
State ALP IR Ministers are planning another special meeting later this month to discuss their response to the Federal Government's planned takeover of their industrial relations systems. They have also accused Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews of again failing to consult by pulling out of the next Workplace Relations Ministerial Council meeting, which was scheduled for April 28.
AIRC President asks Howard Government to collate details of its critique of past wage case decisions; Court issues injunction against Woodside oil platform engineers; AIRC recommends WA coal miners end strike; Westpac workers to stop work on Friday in Victoria; and Qantas increases surveillance of baggage handlers.
Labour force participation will decline from 63.5% now to 56.3% by 2045 based on current projections, mainly due to population ageing, but it can be partly offset by increasing participation and productivity, according to the Productivity Commission.
An employer who tried to take advantage of a young employee whose aunt had just died has been ordered to pay her $15,000 in damages for sexual harassment and discrimination.
The ACTU told the AIRC today that there was a strong economic argument for lifting minimum wages to $494 a week, while Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews again commended the UK's model for setting minimum wages and made it clear he wanted workers earning more than the federal safety net to bargain for pay rises.
An employer who made a worker redundant because of her family responsibilities, including caring for a terminally ill mother, has been ordered to pay the employee $5,664 in lost wages.
More than 80% of requests for flexible work arrangements have been fully or partly accepted by UK employers since the Blair Government introduced "right to request" provisions in April 2003.
