Two proposed new UK laws aim to protect workers by making their time on the job more flexible and predictable, with one bill attempting to combat "one-sided flexibility" by providing the right to seek a reliable working pattern, and another making it easier to make flexible working requests.
A Federal Court majority has today dealt a hammer blow to NSW's and Victoria's pursuit of employers alleged to have avoided long service leave entitlements to casuals, ruling that a tribunal's reading of the Fair Work Act's LSL provision produced an "absurdity" whereby employers received "no warning" they could be held criminally liable for supposed non-payments.
The Albanese Government has outlined for the first time the details of how it might implement its "same job, same pay" proposal that it framed to ensure labour hire arrangements are not used to undercut employees' pay and conditions.
Submissions are due next month on Albanese Government proposals to empower the FWC to set minimum standards and pay rates for those in "employee-like" forms of work, including in the gig economy, and to tackle disputes over contract terms and termination.
As the FWC prepares for the Secure Jobs's bargaining and industrial action components to start on June 6, it has signalled that it plans to devote a substantial amount of members' time to the new mandatory pre-industrial-action conferences to try to facilitate agreements and will expect a similar commitment from parties.
Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has taken issue with Adelaide University Professor of Law Andrew Stewart's prediction that the FWC, if takes a strict approach, will approve "very few" bids to negotiate multi-employer deals in the new single-interest bargaining stream.
Law firm Ashurst says the looming multi-employer bargaining laws might explain the results of a survey in which 65% of employers say they intend to initiate agreement negotiations in the next six months.
The Albanese Government says it will amend the Fair Work Act to underline that temporary migrant workers are entitled to its protections, as it continues its drip-feed of provisions in the Protecting Worker Entitlements Bill to be introduced to Parliament this week.
The Albanese Government claims it will ensure fairer calculation of long service leave for casual coal mineworkers, as part of a Protecting Worker Entitlements Bill to be introduced to Parliament this week.
