In the decision IR practitioners have been sweating on, the AIRC has rejected employer-group arguments that a raft of provisions in a comprehensive NUW agreement do not pertain to the employment relationship, allowing clauses covering a prohibition on offering AWAs, site rates for casual labour hire workers, union right of entry, trade union training leave, and paid leave for union delegates.
The Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Kevin Andrews, this morning began sketching out a road-map for the coming IR changes, making it clear that the AIRC's role, independent contractors' legislation and a unitary unfair dismissal system were high on the Howard Government's fourth term agenda.
Kevin Andrews will continue as Workplace Relations Minister, as the fourth-term Howard Government readies itself to implement its IR agenda unfettered by the Senate.
The High Court's Justice Michael Kirby has praised the role conciliation and arbitration have played in shaping Australia and has rejected calls to weaken or abolish the AIRC, maintaining there is "no room in this nation for industrial ayatollahs".
Qantas ready to deal with flight attendants' "sick out", Dixon tells AGM; Partial annual leave cash-out OK, says Queensland IRC; Union organiser fails in unfair dismissal bid; and AIRC certifies deal after finding trade union training leave and contractor clauses pertain to the employment relationship.
Woolclassers have won a phased-in increase in their casual loading from 20% to 25% and have caught up on missed safety-net increases following a variation to their federal award by a full bench of the AIRC.
Esso's Bass Strait contractors have appealed AIRC member Dominica Whelan's landmark finding that it was against the public interest to terminate their bargaining period because of work and family impacts and Esso's hindrance of genuine bargaining.
New panels for AIRC; Disciplining firefighters the preserve of legislation, not certified agreement; Fuji technicians escape Big Brother; AWU resolutions fail at BlueScope AGM, but union concerns dominate proceedings; and Garage door installer a contractor, AIRC finds.
St George employees have voted up a new enterprise agreement that delivers a 12% wage rise over three years, plus additional increases for workers on the lowest pay levels.
The AIRC has observed today that a sudden drop in attendance of Qantas flight attendant trainees at union induction sessions "looks a little odd" and suggested that "where there's smoke there's fire", following FAAA allegations of intimidation and harassment of the trainees.
