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The ACCC has served notice on the CFMEU of a Federal Court action against the union and a senior official alleging they colluded with a building company to terminate a subcontractor in breach of secondary boycott laws.

The Senate committee inquiring into the independent contractors legislation has recommended changes to maintain state protections for clothing workers, saying DEWR has indicated the government is likely to dump Part 4 of the main bill covering contract outworkers in the industry.

Senate's independent contractors report out later today; Vast majority of manufacturers feeling pressure from China, says AiG; Pre-reform collective agreements didn't include OHS training, says ACCI; and Volunteers don't count, says AIRC.

A survey of the first 30 secret ballots for industrial action declared since Work Choices became law shows nearly all were voted up with unanimous or overwhelming support from employees, usually by an attendance ballot within two days at the workplace. All but two of the ballots were conducted by the AEC.

The OEA says it is making collective agreements lodged since Work Choices commenced on March 27 available upon request following public criticism of its failure to publish agreements on the internet as the AIRC used to do.

Despite Work Choices over-riding state IR law for constitutional corporations, the NSW IRC has listed a bargaining dispute for arbitration, ruling that the company's failure to bargain in good faith as directed before the new federal laws were enacted meant dispute resolution proceedings commenced in the state jurisdiction could continue.

The OEA's refusal to publish collective agreements registered since the Work Choices commencement is not in the public interest and based on a "nonsense" excuse, according to leading industrial relations academics.

Queensland workers are reporting a significant erosion of their employment and income security under Work Choices, according to the State Government.

The NSW Government will amend the state Industrial Relations Act to allow the NSW IRC to hold joint hearings with other state tribunals, raising the possibility of combined state sittings on minimum wages and award test cases.

A Queensland employer group website that promotes using Work Choices to introduce a flat weekend rate, make staff accountable for till shortages, remove the minimum engagement period for juniors and "do away with the award system forever" has been seized on by the ACTU as evidence of a push "to slash award pay and conditions under the Howard Government's new IR laws".