Senior FWC members will head up enterprise bargaining and dispute resolution workshops in a pilot to kick off in Sydney next month, as part of the tribunal's broader strategy to encourage more productive workplaces.
The Fair Work Commission will lose seven members to retirement over the next twelve months, and looks set to finish the year down one senior member in Perth when Deputy President Brendan McCarthy departs on December 31.
The FWC has again refused to suppress the names of an employer and workers facing allegations of bullying, finding that the principle of open justice meant it shouldn't make confidentiality orders.
The Fair Work Commission failed to meet its target for finalising unfair claims in 2013-14 due to a big spike in applications early in the reporting period and a shortage of conciliators.
Advice from the Fair Work Ombudsman has prompted the Fair Work Commission to set up a full bench to iron out inconsistencies between modern award provisions and the national employment standards, as part of its 4-yearly review.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie says FWC expert panel member Tim Harcourt is still playing politics despite being counselled by tribunal president Iain Ross that some of his public comments are inconsistent with the Commission's code of conduct.
Employment Minister Eric Abetz says that no formal decision has been made to create an appeal jurisdiction for the Fair Work Commission, despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott flagging his personal support for the plan.
Allowing a late unfair dismissal application because of representative error is less likely to occur where the agent is not professionally qualified, a Fair Work Commission appeal bench has ruled.
