The Federal Court has set a seven-week trial to hear Adero Law's class actions against Coles and Woolworths in tandem with FWO underpayment claims against the retailers, while the law firm seeks about a third of a $2.2 million settlement with Drakes and Foodland.
The Australian Federal Police Association will use the national election campaign to push for its thousands of members to be exempted from the wages cap and efficiency dividend that applies across the APS.
Hospitality workers on at least 25% above-award annualised salaries will earn overtime for such work beyond 12 hours a week or penalty rates for working more than 18 penalty rate hours, but the FWC concedes the minimum is "nowhere near enough" to compensate many.
A FWC full bench has agreed to inspect nursing homes when it starts hearing an aged care work value case later this month, while Labor has backpedalled on a plan to require facilities to roster registered nurses on 24/7 by July next year.
The FSU has vowed to continue pressuring financial services employers to ditch pay secrecy clauses following last week's decisions by the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac to expunge the obligations from new and existing contracts.
Striking NSW paramedics and hospital workers will on Thursday add to mounting pressure on the Perrottet Government to ditch its 2.5% cap on public sector pay rises, deliver a significant catch-up increase, update awards and open up productivity-based bargaining.
Victoria's Andrews Labor Government is calling for an increase of at least the CPI - currently 3.5% - to the federal minimum wage and all modern award rates on the basis that consumer price inflation movements mean anything less would be a pay cut.
A large employer organisation has called for the FWC to award minimum pay rises of 2.5% to 3% to help maintain living standards amid rising inflation, albeit with pay rises delayed for industries hardest hit by the pandemic.
The ACTU will pursue a 5% increase across all award rates in this year's minimum wage review, arguing it is needed to compensate workers for cost of living pressures.
