The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun Federal Court action against the CFMMEU and five union officials stemming from the bitter 2017-18 dispute at Glencore's Oaky North coal mine in Queensland, which included a seven-month lockout and picket.
A judge who took exception to a business being liquidated during an underpayment case was entitled to impose heavier penalties on the owners than sought by the FWO, an appeal court has found.
Multinational cosmetics company Lush has backpaid workers almost $4.5 million and entered into an enforceable undertaking with the FWO after the lack of an HR department and training, along with a moribund manual payroll system, led to widespread underpayments.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has made scant use of new powers it won three years ago to conduct compulsory interviews and to prosecute franchisors to help to protect vulnerable workers.
The National Library of Australia has avoided becoming the second federal public body forced to make a "contrition payment" to the FWO, after admitting to underpaying casual employees almost $250,000 over two decades.
The FWO is urging 7-Eleven to enter into a second compliance deed, following "substantial improvements" to payroll and time-recording systems and audits leading to backpayments of more than $102,000 under its first arrangement.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has asked for a Senate inquiry to "exercise its discretion" in keeping confidential a list of self-reported major corporate underpayments.
Despite suspending field-based work due to COVID-19, the FWO's annual report reveals it has more than tripled the amount recovered for workers and significantly increased its compliance activities after revising its strategy.