FWC President Iain Ross is proposing to delay starting the next four-yearly review of awards that is due to begin "as soon as practicable" after January 1, but is seeking parties' views on the issue.
The FWC has confirmed it will conduct a hearing on the CFMEU, MUA and TCFU merger on February 2 in Melbourne, subject to any Federal Court application for an inquiry into the unions' ballots within 30 days of their declaration.
Time is running out for the Turnbull Government to pass its Bill to impose a public interest test on union mergers before the FWC considers green-lighting the CFMEU, MUA and TCFU amalgamation, with the tribunal planning to conduct a hearing in early February.
Labor's audacious bid to restore penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors by piggy-backing one of the Federal Government's own IR bills fell at the first hurdle today, when rebel Nationals MP George Christensen indicated he could not support legislation that failed to protect businesses from back-pay claims.
The non-profit provider of a phone counselling service says it has been left financially "devastated" after paying the redundancy entitlements of 45 employees, following a stoush with Social Services Minister Christian Porter over who should bear costs where work is reliant on government contracts.
The Turnbull Government has listed two contested IR Bills for the debate in the Senate next week, setting it at odds with union calls to hold back controversial legislation until the citizenship status of MPs is clarified.
