All Articles page 1642 of 2251

ACTU secretary Greg Combet today confirmed he will be a candidate for the ALP NSW seat of Charlton in this year's federal election, as LHMU national secretary Jeff Lawrence said he would stand for the union top job.

Prime Minister John Howard has indicated his Government will be making further IR changes in two areas - duress and transmission of business - in addition to the safety net amendments he announced today.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has described the Coalition's new safety net for agreement-making as full of holes big enough to drive a Mack truck through, while his Deputy Julia Gillard has listed 10 questions she said the proposal failed to answer.

The Prime Minister John Howard has this morning moved to address community concerns about his Work Choices legislation, announcing a significant boost to the safety net for agreement making plus the reinstatement of a no-disadvantage test. He has also renamed both the OEA and the OWS.

Fair Work Australia will only intervene in protracted industrial disputes, Shadow IR Minister Julia Gillard has vowed, while the mining industry has put forward a compromise on AWAs, saying that if Labor would retain them, it would be prepared to accept the addition of a comprehensive no disadvantage test.

ACTU opposes commission-only pay; NSW unions seeking 4% pay rise; McDonald granted bail; Labor not going back to pre-1993 IR system, says Keating; Bastard Boys goes to air next week; Roping-in case not the first; SDA's Ryan moves to Pharmacy Guild; Former Greens media advisor to spin for unions; and NSW Government offers job swaps for workers ahead of relocation.

Prime Minister John Howard today said that ALP Deputy Leader Julia Gillard deserved what she got from the media over her "injuries" comment to business, while Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said Labor would continue to talk to the mining industry about his party's IR policy.

Law firm Blake Dawson Waldron has listed union right of entry and secondary boycotts among ten issues it says have not been dealt with in the ALP's IR policy.

Talks between the AMMA board and Shadow IR Minister Julia Gillard in Melbourne today failed to resolve disagreement over the ALP's policy to abolish AWAs.

ACTU secretary Greg Combet will announce his candidacy for federal parliament in the next two days, which is expected to clear the way for LHMU national secretary Jeff Lawrence to take over the union leadership.