In an important decision on pregnancy and family responsibility discrimination, the Federal Magistrates Court has found that Qantas discriminated against a senior flight attendant when it refused her access to her accrued sick leave because she was pregnant, not sick.
The ACTU has called a special executive meeting for Monday and the ETU in Victoria has announced it wants to reopen 1,200 existing deals with contractors, as unions around Australia prepare for the likelihood of a re-elected Howard Government unfettered by the Senate.
With the Howard Government on the brink of controlling the Senate during its fourth term, unions face, at the very least, the prospect of the Government passing the raft of legislation blocked by the Democrats during the past eight years. But labour market deregulation has long been a Howard obsession and there will be a strong temptation to use the Government's unfettered domination of both houses to change the IR landscape.
A leading stockbroking firm faces substantial damages after the Federal Court found it made misleading and deceptive representations to an analyst that encouraged him to leave a job with another broking firm.
The Building Industry Taskforce is considering an appeal against the Federal Court's refusal to give it access to the banking records of CFMEU members who it believed might have unlawfully received strike pay from Multiplex.
A defence contractor has won the right to racially discriminate against employees in Victoria where necessary to meet US Government legal and contractual requirements.
Victorian casual workers with more than 12 months employment will be entitled to the same jury service entitlements as permanents, following an AIRC test case ruling.