A positive economic outlook and sustained labour productivity improvement are key factors in yesterday's Fair Work Commission's decision to award a 3% increase to award rates of pay, with the minimum wage panel again advising employer groups that they need to introduce more rigour to their surveys if they are to have any influence on the tribunal's deliberations.
The Financial Services Council has demanded that Fair Work Commission President Iain Ross clarify two legal points before its challenge to the default superannuation review is heard by the Federal Court on Friday.
FWC President Iain Ross has this afternoon flatly rejected a suggestion that his involvement in superannuation funds "25 years ago" means he has a conflict of interest in sitting on the expert panel's review of default funds.
A member of the Fair Work Commission's expert panel has resigned after being disqualified, due to a potential conflict of interest, from participating in the review of default superannuation funds. Meanwhile, the Financial Services Council's challenge to the make-up of the panel is to be heard this week.
There is "no substance" to the claims of inconsistent FWC decision-making that have underpinned calls for an independent appeal mechanism, according to the tribunal's president, Justice Iain Ross.
Melbourne's fire authority has failed to have FWC member Nick Wilson bar himself from hearing its high-stakes application to terminate its expired enterprise agreements after he ruled that a "fair-minded observer" would not see any difficulties with his involvement in earlier related cases.
The FWC's President, Justice Iain Ross, in a ruling handed down this morning, has told the Financial Services Council it should take its complaint about the constitution of the default superannuation expert panel to the Federal Court.
Patrick Stevedores has won the latest round in its continuing battles with the MUA over the automation of its Port Botany terminal, with the Fair Work Commission refusing to interfere with its decisions on workforce modelling, selection and redundancy, after rejecting union claims that it failed to consult.
The decision-making of the Fair Work Commission is under increasing scrutiny, after a presidential member complained that decision-making is being dominated by a small group of senior members.