Victorian IR Minister Rob Hulls says Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott is in "la-la land" if he thinks Victoria will accept conditions he has imposed for accepting the referral of the State's common rule award-making power.
Workplace partnerships designed to create a "joint commitment to the enterprise and the success of the enterprise" are the centrepiece of the Federal Opposition's IR policy, outlined on the weekend by Labor's IR spokesperson, Robert McClelland.
An AIRC full bench has accepted the Telecommunications Service Industry award as an appropriate safety net for call centre workers at Global TeleSales.
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.