New Zealand's Ardern Labour Government is drafting legislation to overhaul its IR system and introduce occupation and industry-wide bargaining where unions can demonstrate support or it passes a public interest test, but businesses say its "compulsory" nature breaches international law.
The CFMMEU mining and energy division's historic application to demerge from the amalgamated union will have its first mention tomorrow before FWC President Iain Ross.
A discussion paper on the casual terms award review raises 32 questions for parties to answer in their submissions, including whether common clauses prescribing minimum payments and engagement periods are within its ambit, ahead of a conference this week and hearings slated for mid-June.
FWC President Iain Ross says the review of casual employment terms in modern awards will have to move "reasonably quickly" to meet its deadline of completing it by September 27.
Unions and gender equality activists will push the Morrison Government to move quickly to introduce legal obligations for employers to prevent sexual harassment and assault at work.
The FWC will hold a conference on Thursday to consider the process of reviewing award casual terms to incorporate the changes flowing from the IR Omnibus legislation.
A new legal front has opened up in the CFMMEU's civil war, with the mining and energy division objecting to proposed changes to rules covering the union's national leadership structures and administration.
The much-reduced IR omnibus Bill passed Parliament today, after the House of Representatives accepted the Senate's amendments, while the Government has also made regulations for its union demerger legislation.
The law firm behind a swathe of class actions challenging the alleged misclassification of casuals says it is taking advice from senior counsel on a High Court challenge to the Morrison Government's retrospective answer to multimillion-dollar permanent entitlements claims.
