United Voice has launched Federal Court action against security giant Wilson, accusing it of unlawfully allocating overtime payments to Sundays in a bid to avoid paying correct penalty rates to security guards.
While stopping short of categorising a long-time Esso employee who worked overseas as an on-hire worker, an FWC full bench has found that his failure to secure a "substantive" role with the company on return to Australia meant he could not rely on an industry award to protect him from unfair dismissal.
The CFMEU's mining and energy division has welcomed an FWC ruling not to allow the spread of casual workers in the black coal mining industry, vowing to resist future "attacks" on award conditions.
A five-member FWC full bench has ruled today that modern awards should enable casual employees to elect to convert to full-time or part-time employment, subject to certain rules and restrictions.
The Federal Court has expedited the union application to quash the Fair Work Commission's cuts to penalty rates, but a three-day hearing will nevertheless start no earlier than September 18.
The main protagonists have landed their last blows ahead of Sunday penalty rate cuts coming into effect this weekend, United Voice calling on restaurant and pub patrons to pressure bosses over whether they value their staff, while AiG insists that July 1's parallel "hefty" minimum wage rise not only sees workers better off, but saddles employers with bigger wage bills.
United Voice has launched its Federal Court challenge to the FWC's decision to cut Sunday penalty rates, arguing that the Commission "misconceived" its obligation to uphold workers' living standards.
Two unions are poised to lodge legal challenges to penalty rate cuts as early as tomorrow after the Fair Work Commission issued determinations on transitional arrangements in the retail and hospitality sectors.
Maverick Federal Nationals MP George Christensen has this morning made good on his vow to introduce a private members' bill to stop Sunday penalty rates from being cut in 11 days' time.
