A full bench of the IRC will tomorrow begin hearing the AMWU's bid to increase the casual loading in the federal metal industry award from 20% to 30% as part of the union's job security campaign.
About 400 workers at Rio Tinto's Mt Thorley and Howick coal mines in NSW's Hunter Valley walked off the job last night as part of the ongoing campaign by the CFMEU (mining & energy division) to win back pay and conditions lost when the IRC terminated the mines' EAs.
The Finance Sector Union has served a log of claims on the top 20 recruitment and labour hire companies that supply temporary staff to the finance sector.
The incumbents seem to have staved off the Workers First challengers in the AMWU ballot being counted today, with national secretary Doug Cameron safely back and Victorian secretary Julius Roe getting enough support to get him over the line.
WR Minister Peter Reith looks like getting his pattern bargaining laws through the Senate in some form, with Democrats IR spokesperson Senator Andrew Murray today saying he was more inclined to amend rather than reject the legislation.
NSW will introduce a Queensland-style "contractor deeming" provision and extend 12 months unpaid parental leave to long-term casuals as part of a package of amendments to the State IR Act announced by IR Minister Jeff Shaw tonight.
After a persistent campaign by the NSW union labour movement for greater regulation of labour hire, the State Government has decided to proceed with an inquiry into the industry.
In a major change for coal mining, a full bench of the IRC has ruled in favour of varying the industry award to allow employers to unilaterally introduce 10-hour shifts.
The AWU has warned that the IRC's decision to terminate the bargaining period at Caltex's Kurnell oil refinery will force unions to go in hard early when renegotiating paid rates awards.
Long-distance owner/drivers and small fleet businesses will tomorrow morning continue their campaign for national minimum cartage rates with rallies around the country.
