The Fair Work Ombudsman won more than $7.2 million in court-ordered penalties in the latest financial year, a 49% increase from the previous year reflecting more serious cases and courts' "growing intolerance for exploitative conduct against vulnerable workers".
A lawyer representing five labour hire fruit pickers who withdrew an underpayments test case after winning a $150,000 settlement says he would welcome a "global settlement" for other claimants, while the employer accuses the NUW of funding the litigation in an effort to extend its patch.
The Morrison Government has introduced legislation to crack down on "sharp corporate practices" such as phoenix companies and asset-shifting by employers that are seeking to avoid paying employee entitlements.
A key independent senator says he will not support the Morrison Government's legislation to make it easier to deregister unions, introduce a public interest test for mergers and ban law-breaking officials, instead calling for a strong response to the finance scandals exposed at the Hayne Royal Commission.
Victoria Police has failed to establish reasonable business grounds for refusing a long-serving detective's flexible work request for an additional two rest days per fortnight as he transitioned to retirement.
An inquiry into an Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation election that opened before the FWC finalised changes to the union's rules has left it behind schedule and unable to recoup $70,000 in costs after "well and truly" blowing its legal budget.
The ETU says a $40,000 penalty against an employer for failing to consult before engaging labour hire workers on inferior pay and conditions sends a message that pre-Building Code job security clauses in agreements are still enforceable.
An FWC full bench majority has refused to let the SDA amend appeals of two Aldi agreements to challenge the retailer's use of the word "leader" instead of "employer" in notices of representative rights, holding that the union must wait until the outcome of a judicial review on the same issue.
