In a significant decision as to what constitutes industrial action, a full Federal Court has found that the legislative framework does not capture instances where a subcontractor's workers down tools with the support of their direct employer.
The RTBU is targeting a labour hire company's training school and its top executives with a backpayment claim for unremunerated "on-the-job" learning, potentially covering hundreds of past and present participants that the union characterises as "employees".
A Federal Circuit Court stoush over whether a company lawfully docked the pay of workers for attending a union meeting about on-site asbestos could hinge on whether they faced an "imminent threat" and whether the supervisor who granted permission was authorised.
The Fair Work Ombudsman won more than $7.2 million in court-ordered penalties in the latest financial year, a 49% increase from the previous year reflecting more serious cases and courts' "growing intolerance for exploitative conduct against vulnerable workers".
The Morrison Government has introduced legislation to crack down on "sharp corporate practices" such as phoenix companies and asset-shifting by employers that are seeking to avoid paying employee entitlements.
In a significant decision on adverse publicity as a factor in setting penalties, a judge has heavily discounted fines sought against an underpaying Melbourne restaurant chain while criticising the FWO's practice of naming and shaming employers before their day in court.
Judge didn't warn of approach to fines: Union; Ex IR lawyer wins workplace shadow ministry role; ROC decides against employer prosecutions for "likely" breaches.
A business owner has been hit with a record $125,000 penalty over his company's failure to pay FWC-awarded compensation to an unfairly sacked former employee.
In a significant win for FWO efforts to extend liability to advisors involved in underpayments, a Full Federal Court has today dismissed an accountancy firm's appeal against penalties imposed last year for failing to ensure a client met its award obligations.
Workers at a now-shuttered immigration detention centre have won retrospective payment of a remote district allowance on accrued annual leave, despite employer arguments that it was tied to time spent at the facility's location.
