Agreements and bargaining page 44 of 177

The legislative changes five years ago to permit the FWC to overlook minor flaws in bargaining notices have failed to save an agreement for an indigenous health organisation.

The Perrottet Government in NSW says it is moving to massively increase fines for unlawful industrial action to send a "message" ahead of a teachers' strike, while a commissioner who blocked part of a PSA strike says it refused to meaningfully engage with the union on wages.

The Albanese Government did not take a policy favouring industry or sectoral bargaining to the May 21 election, but it has expressed support for New Zealand's model during official discussions this month at the International Labour Organisation.

A finding that the FWC cannot keep dealing with disputes brought under old agreements once a new deal comes into effect has produced "arbitrary, anomalous and nonsensical outcomes" and is wrong, a full bench has held, calling for an amendment to the Fair Work Act to reflect the new precedent.

Pilots at the REX airline group will tomorrow start voting on protected action amid rising tensions over the level of "catch-up" pay rises to be included in a new enterprise agreement.

The FSU is seeking annual pay rises of 6% in bargaining at both Westpac and NAB, arguing the hefty increases are justified by the inflation spike and the major banks' continuing strong profits.

A senior FWC member has thrown out a union challenge to a Commonwealth-owned business's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, while observing that having a "predisposed view" does not mean an employer has failed to genuinely consult about new policies.

NSW's Perrottet Government has raised its 2.5% wage ceiling to 3% next financial year and up to 3.5% in 2023-24, in the face of incomes falling behind consumer price inflation and unions taking industrial action seeking to scrap the cap.

The TWU is decrying the Flying Kangaroo's decision to seek special leave from the High Court to challenge the full Federal Court ruling that it took unlawful adverse action when it contracted-out its ground handling functions to prevent workers from exercising their workplace rights to bargain and engage in industrial action, while rival Virgin Australia has told its workforce that it will end its wage freeze.

The FWC in upholding the sacking of an unvaccinated KFC worker has found it "regrettable" HR sent auto-generated letters that led her to believe she was dismissed for abandoning her job.