The day after Opposition Leader Kim Beazley labelled the Federal Government's foreign apprenticeship visa scheme "disgraceful", the Northern Territory Government has announced it won't be participating in it.
State award pay rates are set to increase at three different levels this year, after a full bench of the Queensland IRC today granted a flat $19.40-a-week increase to state award workers, while the Tasmanian IRC followed NSW and WA in granting $20.
The ACCI is calling for significant changes to the Federal Government's independent contractors legislation to limit proposed offences and allow businesses to restructure by firing employees and rehiring them as contractors.
The ANF's willingness to be flexible on the incremental delivery of its 12% pay claim against a Victorian private nursing home showed it was not pattern bargaining, the AIRC has found.
The Fair Pay Commission has released details of four organisations it has engaged to conduct research to assist its first minimum wage determination in Spring.
CPI highest since introduction of GST; Costello celebrates memory of Dollar Sweets proprietor; and Progress on tax arrangements for Hardie asbestos compensation, says Combet.
OWS chief Nick Wilson has blamed the ACTU for a "relentless campaign to impugn the reputation and integrity" of his office, but did not deny being the source of a newspaper report attacking the credibility of the ACTU's advertising campaign against Work Choices.
The labour movement has today declared war on the Office of Workplace Services, with Opposition Leader Kim Beazley vowing to abolish it and the ACTU cancelling OWS head Nick Wilson's appearance at a conference in Sydney. The ACTU and ALP took the action after newspapers reported the agency had investigated and found lawful the unfair dismissal cases highlighted in the unions' latest round of anti-Work Choices commercials.
The Australian Industry Group is calling for changes to the Federal Government's Independent Contractors legislation to remove exemptions for state government laws on owner drivers and soften penalties for "misrepresentation" of employment contracts.
PM's "further reforms" comments didn't refer to IR, says office; OWS targets clothing trades industry; and Work Choices will increase disparity between regions, says Crean.
