Employer denied natural justice over late agreement: Bench; FWC upholds Coles' harassment sacking; Victorian gig economy inquiry extends submission deadline; and half million dollar safety fine for Patrick over threats to workers.
Ahead of a hearing into Workpac's bid to stop casuals winning leave entitlements, Adero Law says more than 600 mineworkers have already joined a new class action against the labour supplier that seeks to claw back up to $84 million for about 7000 on hire casuals.
After providing $150,000 to settle an underpayments claim brought by five fruit pickers last year, labour hire company Agri Labour Australia is facing a new claim from 26 seasonal workers alleging they were short-paid more than $200,000.
An FWC full bench has upheld a finding that Victoria Police lacked reasonable business grounds to refuse a long-serving detective's request, under a "right to flexible working arrangements" clause, for extra rest days as he makes a transition to retirement.
A Queensland professional association that markets itself as a cheaper, apolitical alternative to unions is calling on the FWC to force a major employer to seat it at the same table during bargaining meetings, ahead of its planned expansion by the end of the year.
The failure of a construction company's HR team to adequately explain two proposed "baseline agreements" or provide access to relevant awards has proven fatal to their approval, the FWC finding that other issues of non-compliance could have been dealt with by undertakings.
The FWC earlier this month halted industrial action at BP's Kwinana oil refinery after it accepted that a shutdown of up to a fortnight would be the "unavoidable and inevitable consequence" of protected bans and limitations by AWU members.
A council's imposition of a seven-month "leave blackout" period in a quest for greater efficiencies has run foul of the FWC, the tribunal finding its failure to consult workers over the policy breached best practice and notification provisions in its agreement.
A senior FWC member has held that an abusive "alt-right" employer unfairly sacked an apprentice for refusing to assist his pursuit of revenge against a former employee, describing the company managing director as having the most deplorable attitude to HR management she had ever encountered.
