An academic found to have been unlawfully dismissed by James Cook University over criticisms of prominent climate research has been awarded more than $1.2 million, the presiding judge excoriating the institution over its "egregious abuse of power" and public statements intended to "sow doubt" about his findings.
The former director of a liquidated dental practice has been penalised and ordered to backpay a 457 visa worker thousands of dollars after a second adverse underpayment judgment involving his company.
A court has declined to make a declaration agreed to by an employer for admitted breaches of the Fair Work Act, ruling that its repetition of adverse findings would not "have any educative or deterrent effect. . . at all".
A landmark contempt finding and accompanying jail sentence hailed as proof of the FWO's commitment to justice has been overturned by a full Federal Court that found the ruling judge's "open" hostility to the underpaying employer compromised his ability to consider the evidence.
An employee criticised as being ungrateful about securing a restaurant job despite her disability has won $12,500 in compensation for the hurt and humiliation she experienced during her dismissal after 12 weeks.
In a decision vindicating the FWO's resistance to the grouping of multiple contraventions for the purpose of setting penalties, the workplace watchdog has won a fivefold increase in fines imposed on an underpaying company director.
A multinational company has won a rare stay on orders that it pay 173 former detention centre workers more than $130,000 in unpaid allowances, after the Federal Court found the union pushing their case had no record of their whereabouts.
The ABCC is pressing ahead with prosecutions against the CFMMEU, three officials and 44 individual workers over alleged industrial action last year on a Perth airport rail link project.
