NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson has foreshadowed a major test case in the State Commission aimed at setting guidelines on the use of labour hire arrangements and casuals.
In the first ever ruling dealing with the attraction and retention of workers in labour-short industries, the AIRC has awarded Queensland public sector nurses a targeted pay rise of up to 15.4% over three years plus new allowances.
The Australian Mines and Metals Association has spoken out in support of random drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, rejecting claims by AWU national secretary Bill Shorten that the practice was ineffective.
In an important ruling on double dipping, a senior AIRC member has ruled that a dismissed worker who won a remedy in the NSW unfair contracts jurisdiction could not also seek reinstatement under Federal unfair dismissal laws.
Virgin workers to get 2% bonus after strong profit result; WA considers constraining extended hours; Vote expected this afternoon on Abbott dismissal bill; and Abbott's mooted essential services bill to be explored in Estimates hearings.
National Australia Bank has improved its cost to income ratio from to 48% to 47.3% in the past year, on the back of large staffing reductions under its Positioning for Growth program, announced in April last year.
Parties who represent themselves can make the Commission's job much more difficult, particularly in cases dealing with technical legal issues, an AIRC full bench has found in dismissing an unfair dismissal case for lack of jurisdiction.
The ILO has issued two new reports that canvass expanding the definition of employee and urge the adoption of affirmative action programs to address discrimination in the workplace.
WR Minister Tony Abbott intends to introduce legislation during the current winter Parliamentary sitting to circumvent the Federal Court's Emwest ruling and give the AIRC the power to order cooling-off periods during bargaining.
The Federal Budget provides $17m for 2003-04 for the Government's initial response to the Cole Royal Commission and $28m a year in incentives from 2005-06 for universities to abandon collective bargaining.
