The Turnbull Government has introduced legislation to extend responsibility for deliberate and serious underpayments to franchisors and holding companies, in the wake of the problems exposed at 7-Eleven.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash is trying to drum up public support from business and employer groups for the Fair Work Commission's landmark decision to cut Sunday penalty rates for some retail and hospitality workers.
The FWC has reduced Sunday penalty rates in the hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy sectors and pared-back public holiday penalties in five awards, in a landmark ruling today by a five-member full bench.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has asked the Opposition to back new legislation that would scrap the Fair Work Act's mandatory four-yearly reviews of modern awards.
The CFMEU's mining and energy division has pledged to appeal a "shocking" FWC full bench decision that it claims would slash redundancy benefits for coal mining employees.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has flagged that Labor will seek to protect workers' take-home pay if the Fair Work Commission decides to reduce weekend penalty rates in its award review ruling.
Australia's two biggest employer groups have joined forces with the ACTU to ask the Turnbull Government to scrap mandatory four-yearly reviews of awards.
The Turnbull Government has been lambasted by the ACTU and state premiers after rejecting the push at today's COAG meeting for all modern awards to include paid domestic violence leave, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk decrying it as a "missed opportunity".
The Fair Work Commission is proposing to remove "unusual" annual leave and annual leave loading entitlements together with penalties for late payment of wages transferred electronically as part of its four-yearly review into modern awards.
