The Fair Work Commission will lose seven members to retirement over the next twelve months, and looks set to finish the year down one senior member in Perth when Deputy President Brendan McCarthy departs on December 31.
The FWC has again refused to suppress the names of an employer and workers facing allegations of bullying, finding that the principle of open justice meant it shouldn't make confidentiality orders.
The Fair Work Commission failed to meet its target for finalising unfair claims in 2013-14 due to a big spike in applications early in the reporting period and a shortage of conciliators.
Advice from the Fair Work Ombudsman has prompted the Fair Work Commission to set up a full bench to iron out inconsistencies between modern award provisions and the national employment standards, as part of its 4-yearly review.
The ACCC is continuing investigations into allegations aired in the Heydon Royal Commission of anti-competitive conduct by the Transport Workers Union and Toll Holdings.
Young people and overseas workers together lodged more than a third of the 24,103 complaints the Fair Work Ombudsman received during 2013-2014, while the agency's significant online presence continued to grow, with11.7 million visits to its website during the year.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie says FWC expert panel member Tim Harcourt is still playing politics despite being counselled by tribunal president Iain Ross that some of his public comments are inconsistent with the Commission's code of conduct.
Supermarket giant Coles will conduct random wage audits of its trolley collection contractors, back pay 10 employees more than $220,000 and establish a $500,000 fund for any future underpayment claims, as part of an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman that acknowledges the company's "ethical and moral responsibility" to look after workers on its sites.
A Coalition Senate committee majority is recommending that parliament pass unamended the Federal Government bill that caps the redundancy entitlements of insolvent company employees at 16 weeks, while Labor and the Greens are opposing its passage.
