The re-election of the Morrison Coalition Government has preserved the features of the current industrial relations system, but left unanswered questions over its workplace agenda for the next three years.
Victoria's labour hire regulatory scheme has opened to mixed reviews, welcomed by the academic who headed a landmark inquiry into the sector but dubbed a "blunt instrument" by a key employer group.
Uber has warned a Victorian on-demand workforce inquiry against "isolated state-based intervention into workplace laws", while calling for a "holistic" national approach that would allow it to better support drivers without them being deemed employees.
Victoria's Parliament has passed legislation that will enable public sector workers to bargain for a wider range of matters, including minimum staffing levels and job security.
The calling of the Federal election has left several pieces of IR legislation stranded on the notice paper of the old parliament, including a push to apply a public interest test to union mergers
Company directors face tough penalties for avoiding employee entitlements under new laws cracking down on "sharp corporate practices" such as phoenixing and asset-shifting.
The ETU is anticipating multiple backpay claims on behalf of thousands of labour hire and FIFO workers at resource, electrical supply and construction companies across Australia as part of a new campaign seeking to challenge their classification as casuals.
NSW Labor has laid out its plan to beef up the State's OHS, anti-discrimination and anti-bullying jurisdiction, including by reviving the industrial court and extending access to private sector employees, if it wins Saturday's election.
The Victorian Labor government has flagged it will aim for modest annual pay rises of 2%, setting the scene for an arm-wrestle with public sector unions in bargaining over a series of major enterprise agreements.
The Morrison Government should withdraw its casual conversion bill due to "serious problems", according to Adelaide University Professor of Law, Andrew Stewart, who has also opened fire on the "worse than useless" regulation introduced to purportedly address employers' liabilities in the wake of the Workpac v Skene ruling.
