Sodexo's circuitous journey to a new offshore deal has taken another turn after the FWC gave unions the go-ahead to conduct a strike ballot despite arguments that a claim for workers to be provided only vegetarian meals showed they were not bargaining genuinely.
The Federal Court trial of allegations that the CFMMEU's construction and general division Victorian branch has been "poaching" members from elsewhere within the union has been delayed by consent.
A full Federal Court has delivered a pointed rebuke to FWC President Iain Ross, finding it could not consider a challenge to the decision of a Commission full bench he led because it was not, "with respect, any decision. . . at all".
The NSW Young Liberals have called on the Federal Coalition to establish a three-strike warning system to deal with employers that unintentionally underpay workers and for employees to "bear some of the risk", in a submission warning against "heavy-handed" policies.
The NSW Opposition has refused to welcome the promotion of Nichola Constant to the chief commissioner's role at the State IRC, saying the Berejiklian Government has missed a chance to appoint an outstanding candidate with strong IR credentials.
The FWC has granted a two-day extension for an aged care worker to file her unlawful dismissal claim after finding the combined circumstances - including the Christmas Eve deadline, her worsening bipolar disorder symptoms and the anniversary of her mother's death - to be exceptional.
The FWC has upheld Star Casino's sacking of a food and beverage server who said he tapped a colleague's bottom in an act of comradery, accused three workmates of entrapping him and threatened to "raise hell" for his employer.
The FWC has refused the RTBU's bid for a scope order so that it can negotiate separate agreements for Australian Rail Track Corporation's operational employees and their office-based colleagues, finding that even if it could ignore "sloppy" position descriptions in the application, a carve-out would not improve bargaining.
A full Federal Court has today, in declaring a Boral subsidiary vicariously liable for the 2009 s-xual harassment of a plywood grader, described a judge's six-year delay in delivering a contrary finding as bringing the justice system "into disrepute".
In a significant decision on duty of care, a former public prosecutor and mother of two traumatised by having to prepare a large volume of child sexual offence cases has been awarded more than $400,000 in damages.
