The legal definition of employee should be broadened to cover anyone who agrees to supply their labour, according to a new book on addressing Australia's wage stagnation.
Esso Australia and the AWU have resumed protracted negotiations over a new enterprise agreement covering offshore oil and gas workers in Bass Strait ahead of a February 4 hearing of the company's s225 application to terminate the existing deal.
In a desperate and highly unusual attempt to have the FWC arbitrate a long-running bargaining dispute, the IEU has unsuccessfully applied to terminate its own industrial action on the basis it poses a danger to student welfare.
Two AMWU delegates sacked by Visy for allegedly organising unprotected industrial action over a new drug and alcohol policy will have their delayed unfair dismissal cases heard after admissions by the union and one of its officials helped end entwined Federal Court proceedings today.
In a significant decision as to what constitutes industrial action, a full Federal Court has found that the legislative framework does not capture instances where a subcontractor's workers down tools with the support of their direct employer.
A Federal Circuit Court stoush over whether a company lawfully docked the pay of workers for attending a union meeting about on-site asbestos could hinge on whether they faced an "imminent threat" and whether the supervisor who granted permission was authorised.
Three unions have won court approval to argue that the IR manager of a major service provider should be held accessorially liable for alleged underpayment of workers at Esso's onshore and offshore Bass Strait sites.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun the first proceedings using tougher new provisions relating to providing false and misleading documents during an investigation, Senate Estimates hearings have been told this week.
A Federal Court judge has questioned the "wisdom or fairness" of laws requiring employers to subtract four hours' pay for as little as 10 minutes unprotected action, after finding the AWU breached the Fair Work Act when an official asked a BlueScope manager not to dock returning strikers for starting a shift late.
The FWC has rejected arguments that the CFMEU engaged in pattern bargaining during negotiations over agreements with two crane operators, clearing the path for indefinite strikes to begin early this morning.
