Unions are questioning gaps in government support payments for aviation workers engaged as labour hire or in receipt of Centrelink allowances, while Jetstar looks to have staved off a dispute over its ability to implement mid-roster stand downs.
Fruit processor SPC has today hit back at union criticism of its plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of employees, citing the general legal obligation of employers to provide a safe workplace.
Former Australian Law Council president, barrister Arthur Moses SC, has attempted to offer employers some clarity on whether they can mandate worker vaccinations by highlighting a recent FWC case he describes as "highly instructive" when considering how to approach what he concedes is a difficult question.
The AMWU has objected to what fruit and vegetable processor SPC today described as the country's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for its workforce, leaving the door open to possible legal action.
The UK Labour party has promised to replace the country's three existing employment classifications with a single category of "worker" for all but the "genuinely self-employed" if it takes power at the 2024 election.
Employers faced with widening lockdowns and restrictions have called on the Morrison Government to reintroduce temporary IR flexibilities including directed stand-downs and reduced hours once Parliament resumes next month.
The ACTU's triennial Congress is set to endorse a suite of policies on working from home that extend to the "right to disconnect" from work, payment for all time worked and workers having choice and control over hours.
Employer groups have welcomed talks with the Morrison Government on the part they can play in advancing the vaccine rollout once Pfizer supplies improve, including workplace vaccinations, but they are still awaiting assurances on indemnity and liability.
