The Fair Work Ombudsman has made scant use of new powers it won three years ago to conduct compulsory interviews and to prosecute franchisors to help to protect vulnerable workers.
In a significant judgment closely examining the limits of "industrial activity", a full Federal Court led by Chief Justice James Allsop has overturned penalties imposed on two CFMMEU officials for leading a walk-out from a building site that had no separate toilet for a female worker.
Victoria International Container Terminal has asked the High Court to consider whether a full Federal Court brought the administration of justice into disrepute when it failed to find MUA organiser Richard Lunt a "front man" for the union's bid to quash the approval of the stevedore's enterprise agreement.
The former head of the federal workplace tribunal has called for a “cautious expansion” of the Fair Work Commission’s arbitration powers and the reinstatement of judicial status for senior members.
A judge has affirmed, in a general protections case alleging "inhumane treatment", the courts' ability to overlook the use of incorrect forms to initiate proceedings.
The FWC has ordered a labour hire company to reinstate a worker to his former job at Carlton United Breweries, despite summarily sacking him over a safety incident after the client demanded his permanent removal.
A small employer must pay a former casual employee almost $15,000 after claims its HR manager threatened to "eliminate" her if she did not work extra unpaid hours to make up for JobKeeper payments received while she was sick.
A senior corruption investigator who herself became the subject of an ICAC-initiated investigation has had her stop bullying application thrown out, the FWC finding nothing unreasonable about the way her employer handled allegations of misconduct.
The FWC has rejected a proposal by Australia's oldest library to split employees' roles into front or back-of-house, pointing out that it couldn't "contradict" changes contained in its nominally-expired deal without varying, terminating or renegotiating the agreement.
