Institutions, tribunals, courts page 236 of 357

The Jobs Department has told a Senate Estimates hearing that it met with labour hire company Workpac following the full Federal Court's crucial casual leave decision in Skene, but that it hasn't drafted a Bill to address the ruling.

Note: This article has been updated with a clarification about former ministerial staffer Ben Davies.

A year after AFP raids on the AWU's offices, the union says that its private investigators have failed to locate the former chief-of staff to then Employment Minister Michaelia Cash to serve a subpoena on him.

An industrial tribunal has rejected a union's argument that allowing a large employer to use an external lawyer will render a general protections case "unnecessarily adversarial".

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.

A senior FWC member has upbraided a seasoned IR lawyer for speaking to employees of his large casino client during an unfair dismissal hearing, after it had been denied external legal representation.

A tribunal member has strongly rebuked a legal firm for its "unprofessional" behaviour in missing a deadline to file material, lamenting that unlike golf tee times, FWC directions cannot be changed "at a whim".

A reduction of more than 60% in external legal expenses has steered the construction watchdog into operating profit for the 2017-18 financial year, as it continues a recent shift to initiating fewer court cases at the same time as it has been winning record penalties against the CFMMEU.

BP Australia is seeking to terminate the enterprise agreement for its oil refinery in Western Australia, in the latest case of a big employer using what the Federal Opposition has dubbed the "nuclear option" to break a bargaining deadlock.

The FWC says RAFFWU's objections to a Woolworths deal it expects to be voted up next week will delay its approval by "many months", as the tribunal orders the retailer to produce wage comparison documents to inform the union's bid to terminate the 2012 agreement.

IR Minister Kelly O'Dwyer is intervening in Workpac's bid to block a casual from winning leave entitlements or to "off-set" his claims with loading and flat rates already paid, while the CFMMEU says it will also seek to intervene to protect principles established in Skene.