Just as the Morrison Government's Omnibus IR Bill says a casual will be defined on the basis of their job offer, rather than subsequent conduct, the labour hire company at the centre of a landmark casuals case has told the High Court employment contracts must be decisive.
Uber Eats says a new delivery partner contract is part of a dramatic restructure under which it is simplifying by selling its services directly to "eaters", but a leading IR academic says it has been forced into a tactical retreat after recent court proceedings went "terribly".
The FWC has let a construction company bin a 5% pay rise that came into effect in February plus next year's increase, despite CFMMEU evidence that some workers felt pressured to support the COVID-19 variation in a ballot that identified their vote.
The UWU has hailed decisions by casino operators Star Entertainment Group and Crown Resorts to make what are believed to be the country's first large-scale payments of two weeks' "pandemic leave" to almost 20,000 workers facing standdowns.
Uber and Deliveroo have both confirmed that they will provide financial support for drivers and riders diagnosed with coronavirus or placed in quarantine by a public health authority.
In a move that might set the standard for companies making coronavirus-driven cutbacks, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has announced new cost-reduction measures while committing to taking no salary or bonus for the remaining four months of the financial year.
The arrangement under which a former driver worked about 30 hours over a 10-month period could not possibly be considered casual employment, Deliveroo has argued in its Federal Circuit Court defence against a sham contracting case.
In an escalation of tension between the CFMMEU and Adero Law over their competing class actions on behalf of black coal mineworkers allegedly misclassified as casuals by Workpac, the union is asking the courts to compel the law firm to use "reasonable endeavours" to cooperate.
