FWC president Adam Hatcher has dismissed ACTU concerns that it won't have enough time to assess research into gender pay equity ahead of the annual wage review, observing that he did not expect that every issue would be dealt with "to finality" in one fell swoop.
A Senate inquiry report tabled this afternoon says the legislation to raise paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026 should pass unamended, but the Greens want to see more progress toward a 52-week entitlement, while the Coalition is seeking an opt-out for small businesses from passing on parental leave payments.
The ACTU is urging a Senate inquiry, ahead of it reporting today, to reject an ACCI proposal to exempt small businesses from directly making parental payments, ceding responsibility to Services Australia.
A former public school teacher has been awarded $10,500 in penalties after pursuing the ACT's education department through the courts for more than seven years over allegations it unlawfully dismissed her, breaching its agreement's job security terms.
IR Minister Tony Burke says the Albanese Government is "not there yet" in talks with key crossbenchers ahead of this week's Senate debate on its Closing Loopholes No 2 legislation, while consultations on including a "right to disconnect" are tackling the role of fines.
Two years after its approval without the AWU's knowledge, a deal covering just three workers who had no stake in it has been quashed after new evidence from the union, but a FWC full bench has stopped short of finding it a sham akin to that of related entity Workforce Logistics.
Stevedores at DP World will receive pay increases of 23.5% over about four years, plus an upfront bonus, after the FWC assisted the company and the MUA to reach an in-principle enterprise deal to end months of disruption at four container terminals across the country.
The FWC has rejected a proposed enterprise agreement, after finding employees did not genuinely agree to it because their employer only gave them a day's notice of a vote, while the tribunal has also lamented the company's "perplexing and unhelpful" approach to providing compliant documentation.
Key crossbench senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie have used a Senate inquiry report today to outline their concerns about the Closing Loopholes legislation, including changes to casual employment, the expansion of union entry rights and setting minimum standards in the gig economy and road transport.
