Closing Loopholes 2 provisions that substantially increase penalties for breaching the Fair Work Act should prompt employers to consider boosting their investment in payroll systems and checking compliance, Adelaide University Professor of Law Andrew Stewart says.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has this morning introduced legislation to ensure that employers that flout right to disconnect "stop orders" cannot face criminal charges.
Biotechnology giant CSL has failed to win rare bargaining orders sought against two maintenance unions after the FWC dismissed a HR manager's "flimsy" evidence that contractors had been intimidated by a picket.
The Federal Court has flayed the Republic of Italy for failing to heed Australian IR laws in its local consulates and has ordered it to pay a $94,000 fine, $7500 compensation and indemnity costs to an administrative employee after it failed to pay him annual leave loading for six years, to keep records in English and to produce the records on demand.
CSL has fended off interim orders that would have halted negotiations for a new deal for workers at a flagship vaccine-making facility due to start operating in 2026, after unions raised concerns that a leaked internal document revealed plans to undermine existing pay and conditions.
A former public school teacher has been awarded $10,500 in penalties after pursuing the ACT's education department through the courts for more than seven years over allegations it unlawfully dismissed her, breaching its agreement's job security terms.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke intends to amend the Closing Loopholes No 2 legislation so that "employee-like" workers in the gig economy and in road transport cannot "double-dip" in the federal and state IR systems.
A senior FWC member has delved into arbitral history to offer his own definition of a 'seven day shiftworker' after expressing frustration that there is no "simple" or "unambiguous" description of the term in the many awards it is employed.
The first enforceable undertaking under the FWC's restored registered organisations powers provides for a union to further train its officers on the conduct of elections.
The Federal Court has fined the AWU almost $300,000 for 27,143 breaches of registered organisations laws, including failing to keep accurate membership records for nine years until 2017.
