Agreements and bargaining page 17 of 175

A major employer alliance supporting a union bid for supported multi-bargaining in the early childhood education and care sector says the FWC needs to bring the Albanese Government to the table as insufficient funding is hampering their ability to boost pay.

FWC President Adam Hatcher will convene a directions hearing on Wednesday for what might be the first substantive test of the Secure Jobs' intractable bargaining declaration provisions, after the United Firefighters Union sought to break an impasse with Fire Rescue Victoria over wage rises for thousands of firefighters.

The RBA is anticipating stronger wage growth for the rest of the year than it did a few months ago, thanks to the removal of states' wages caps, the FWC's substantial minimum pay ruling and the aged care work value rise.

The AWU's pursuit of fines against builders John Holland for allegedly denying an official lawful access to test silica dust levels on Australia's biggest road project has been put on hold, after a judge accepted that the FWC is the best forum to quickly determine entry rights when workers' health is potentially in jeopardy.

The FWC has panned rail operator Qube for "reneging" on an in-principle enterprise deal with the RTBU, after rejecting the union's bid to terminate industrial action that allegedly presented a threat to community safety and welfare.

The FWC has cleared the way for RAFFWU to ballot its Woolworths members on whether to take multiple forms of industrial action and will require the supermarket giant to attend a conciliation conference next Wednesday in what the unregistered union says is a "historic" win.

The FWC has reinforced its view that zombie agreements should not be extended "merely" because the parties are in harmony, observing that nothing is stopping a charity funded by Australia's orchestras from negotiating a new deal with its valued finance manager.

NTEU members have resolved to hit seven Victorian universities with industrial action targeting their open days, including one institution that failed to convince the FWC not to grant the union a protected action ballot order.

In a powerful demonstration of the consequences of ignoring FWC recommendations, a court has ordered an employer to pay more than $50,000 in penalties and compensation after it failed to act on a commissioner's call to provide a teacher with details of an investigation before sacking her for allegedly tugging the earlobes of two students.

The FWC has killed off a zombie deal at the request of a leading men's fashion brand that transferred its retail workforce to the higher-paying award in 2019 in the mistaken belief the agreement stopped applying on its nominal expiry.