BHP Billiton is sounding out employees in its fast-growing in-house labour hire operation on "simple, safety net" agreements that include a guarantee to pay 5% more than the award to full-time and part-time employees.
Virgin Australia will unilaterally seek support from its flight crew for a new enterprise deal, after failing to secure backing from its two pilot unions, while agreements for the remainder of the workforce have received the blessing of unions as the best they could achieve to get the relaunched airline back aloft.
The ABCC is investigating stoppages at five Sydney building projects overseen by two builders ahead of possible protected industrial action ballots by members of the CFMMEU, which is pursuing a new pattern agreement.
The CFMMEU's manufacturing division has defended a claim for annual pay rises of 4% at a major Melbourne packaging plant, arguing the business has boomed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The IEU is accusing the NSW Association of Independent Schools of using COVID-19 as an excuse to breach good faith bargaining requirements and abandon centralised negotiations on behalf of 220 schools, but the peak body says they are still "on foot".
A new ACCC class exemption for small businesses wanting to collectively bargain is a "big step forward" for gig economy workers and others classified as independent contractors, but it comes with significant limitations, according to IR academics.
The CFMMEU construction and general division's NSW branch has warned sub-contractors that have signed its new pattern agreement they face being reported to the ABCC unless they switch to a nine-day fortnight from December 1.
Employees at three Officeworks' distribution centres in NSW and Victoria plan a 24-hour strike on Monday over what they say is a low-ball offer from management on a new enterprise agreement despite booming sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.