Agreements and bargaining page 171 of 175

The Senate's Education and Employment Legislation Committee has recommended today that the upper house pass the government's Fair Work Amendment Bill unamended, with the ALP and the Greens tabling separate reports opposing the legislation.

Workers at Rio Tinto's Cape Lambert port expansion in the Pilbara want to take an extra five weeks a year off, which would reduce their annual pay by about $10,000.

The Fair Work Commission's decision to temporarily halt a planned 48-hour strike at Tidewater Marine took into account that an MUA official was unavailable to give evidence in person to the tribunal.

The Fair Work Commission will allow Patrick Stevedores to proceed with job cuts at the Port of Melbourne, after rejecting an MUA bid for an interim restraining order because the balance of convenience lay with the employer.

Toyota's best chance of overturning last year's ruling that stopped its employees voting on the company's proposed changes to its Altona enterprise agreement appear to rest with its argument that the "no extra claims" clause in the deal is directly inconsistent with the Fair Work Act, after other appeal grounds fell away in argument before the full Federal Court yesterday.

News Corp Australia has offered a real pay cut for several thousand journalists employed at its Australian newspapers and is also seeking to reduce redundancy entitlements for new hires.

The Fair Work Commission has issued an interim order to prevent a planned 48-hour strike by MUA members employed in the offshore oil and gas industry by Tidewater Marine.

Tugboat workers in Port Hedland, the outlet for much of Australia's iron ore exports, have endorsed legally protected industrial action in pursuit of improved pay and conditions in a new agreement.

The Fair Work Commission has knocked back a major electricity distributor's application to exclude middle managers and senior technical employees from its new enterprise agreement, finding "no persuasive evidence" it would improve productivity and efficiency.

The Federal Court has set aside enterprise agreements for three private hospitals, finding the group's corporate manager had no authority to make them.