Agreement approval requirements/processes page 17 of 41

In a decision affirming the FWC's expanded ability to use undertakings to approve agreements, a controversial non-union power industry deal made with a handful of employees has been rubber-stamped despite concerns about how it was explained to those it covers.

In a decision emphasising the "reasonable steps" employers must take in explaining proposed agreements to workers, the FWC has refused to approve a large labour hire company's deal after a "lost opportunity" to clarify its terms and its failure to present sufficient detail about information sessions.

In a clear indication that the recent rash of underpayment disclosures by large companies has not gone unnoticed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told a business audience that his government hopes to reduce the current compliance regime's "administrative clutter".

Wesfarmers subsidiary Kmart wrongly permitted new recruits to vote for its latest agreement even though they were not engaged until after the access period, according to an FWC full bench that has nevertheless quashed an earlier rejection of the deal and invited submissions on an undertaking to provide choice of super fund.

NUW deregistered, UWU out of the blocks; Wrong rate claim sinks offshore deal, Bench rules; Google no answer to getting dismissal right; and Cop's bid for early long service leave rejected.

A large employer's decision to excise union references from its representational rights notice has scuppered its proposed agreement, the FWC observing that employees were effectively being "herded" towards two colleagues who had negotiated the previous deal.

An FWC full bench has rejected IR Minister Christian Porter's bid to review an already-approved agreement on the basis that it contains discriminatory terms, while it has allowed changes "entirely disposing" of any lingering ambiguities.

In the latest stage of a long battle by power and mining unions against the approval of a "small cohort" non-union agreement for maintenance employees, the FWC has given Mechanical Maintenance Solutions Pty Ltd a chance to provide an undertaking to overcome its failure to ensure the deal was genuinely agreed.

The SDA has hit back at claims by RAFFWU that a Hungry Jack's deal awaiting approval in the FWC is the worst since the unregistered union's inception, rejecting contentions that it tries to "casualise part-time work" and denies workers a choice of super fund without paying enough to leave them better off.

A major employer has failed to apply the correct award in seeking approval for a new enterprise agreement covering two businesses, the FWC noting an HR manager involved in bargaining had "little to no knowledge" of the work performed by employees.