The newly-independent South Australian Senator Rex Patrick says he will now focus on job creation through industry policy and value-added manufacturing to help Australia recover from the coronavirus pandemic rather than "tweaking the IR rules" as sought by the Morrison Government.
The Victorian government has this afternoon unveiled "heartbreaking" closures and restrictions on workplaces requiring the stand down of another 250,000 of the State's workers.
Self-employed people and employers in Victoria who fail to notify WorkSafe about positive COVID-19 tests or confirmed coronavirus cases attending workplaces in the infectious period now face a fine of up to $39,652 for individuals and $198,264 for a body corporate.
The major iron miner Fortescue Metals has called for the income tax exemption ceiling for employee share schemes to be lifted from $1000 to $5000, arguing the cap is too low to provide a "meaningful incentive".
The Queensland Labor government has introduced legislation to criminalise wage theft and to establish a small claims process in the State courts which has conciliation as a first step.
The Victorian government's landmark inquiry into the on-demand workforce recommends codifying work status in the Fair Work Act rather than relying on "indistinct" common law tests, as well as relaxing laws to enable those engaged in the gig economy to bargain collectively.
Western Australia's McGowan Labor Government has unveiled an overhaul of the State industrial relations system, which includes increasing penalties for non-compliance to align with the federal system.
Federal IR Minister Christian Porter has described as "ill-conceived" yesterday's passage through Victorian Parliament of a law creating a criminal offence for deliberate underpayment of wages and establishing a state-based wage inspectorate with wide investigative powers.
Court finding on notice period change shredded; Call to halt wage theft law until working party concludes; Industry super paper concedes employees might bear costs of super rises; and $15K for academic in "labyrinthine" case.
The Morrison Government is set to withdraw a regulation that cut the minimum notice period that employers have to give employees of proposed changes to enterprise agreements from seven days to one day.