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The Toll Group and the TWU have reached an "in principle" agreement for the company's 10,000-strong workforce, delivering a potential pay increase of 15.25% over four years and a commitment to maintain employer super contributions at 3% above the statutory minimum.

Productivity continues to rise; and Shorten commits to making ILO conventions a priority.

In a decision that has the potential to expand the number of general protections cases, a Fair Work Commission full bench headed by the president has ruled that the tribunal has no power to dismiss an application on jurisdictional grounds and must hold a conference once a claim has been lodged.

A Fair Work Commission full bench has rejected – by a two to one majority – a raft of claims to vary annual leave provisions in modern awards as part of the two-year transitional review, finding that many of them would more appropriately be dealt with in the broader review next year.

Worker's conduct didn't justify summary dismissal; and Dishonest reporting of accident costs bus driver his job.

A new paper recommends changes to the Fair Work Act to provide stronger protections for students undertaking vocational placements and work experience, suggesting they have become the new "phenomenon" of the workplace in the 21st century following the casualisation of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Coalition has largely succeeded in neutralising IR as a 2013 federal election issue by promising to retain – at least for one term – Labor's Fair Work framework, but Australia's two major parties are still going to the September 7 poll with some significant policy differences, including on paid parental leave, right of entry, and construction industry regulation. Workplace Express compares their IR policies and those of the Greens, whose future hold on the Senate balance of power is uncertain.

The 1.5% levy on large corporations to finance the Coalition's paid parental leave scheme will raise $1.1 billion more in the next four years than is required to cover its net cost, according to figures released by Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey today.

Wage growth in private sector agreements lodged in the June quarter has dropped to 3.5% a year, well below the post-GFC average of about 3.9%, according to new data released by DEEWR today.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott promised to "move the workplace relations pendulum back to the sensible centre", restore a "strong" construction industry watchdog, and "hit dodgy union officials with the same penalties as corporate crooks", in his official launch of the Coalition's federal election campaign yesterday.