Hundreds of lawyers and support staff at Maurice Blackburn (MB) are gearing up to strike after accusing the union-friendly law firm of walking away from negotiations over better pay. On Thursday (July 14), the Fair Work Commission authorised a protected action ballot order for MB staff after noting the parties had met on 17 occasions since October ...
Maurice Blackburn lawyers preparing for industrial action
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Qld public school teachers to vote on strike over pay parity
Qld public school teachers and principals are preparing for industrial action if outstanding enterprise agreement (EA) matters can't be resolved after citing the recent salary win by Qld Catholic school teachers as the new benchmark. The Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) is asking for 4.5% per annum over three years despite the state government's pub...
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Cabinet reshuffle: Cash still in the job
Senator Michaelia Cash has retained her role as employment minister in the cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this afternoon. Meanwhile, Riverina MP and former parliamentary secretary Michael McCormack is taking over the small business portfolio from Kelly O'Dwyer. Luke Hartsuyker, who was skills minister until February ...
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Lock-out over as workers win labour hire conversion
The lock-out of Vic Longwarry dairy workers is over after the Parmalat subsidiary agreed last week to a near 10% pay rise and permanent employment for labour hire casuals in return for flexibility on rosters. Parmalat-owned Longwarry Food Park locked out its National Union of Workers (NUW) member employees when they arrived to work at 6am Tuesday (...
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Editorial Team
Editor: David Marin-Guzman, (02) 8587 7682, david.marin-guzman@thomsonreuters.com . Chief Journalist: Gerard May. Managing Editor: Peter Schwab. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
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Employer ‘frustrated' worker application through non-response
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has granted a “naive” worker extra time to file a general protections claim after it found his employer “deliberately frustrated” his attempt to challenge his termination by not responding to his correspondence. Hills Holdings LTD claimed it fired electrician Roger Guest on May 3, 2016 followin...
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Hanson to fight union dominance of small business in construction
Pauline Hanson, whose Senate votes are likely to hold the key to passing the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) Bills, has committed to protect small business from union control in the construction industry. Hanson told ABC's Q&A program last night that on the current vote count she was looking at four Senate seats with the ...
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ACCC can pursue CFMEU over Boral ban before blackmail trial
A Full Federal Court has given the ACCC the go ahead to proceed this year with legal action against the construction union over its ban of concreter Boral, rejecting the union's appeal the matter be stayed pending the related criminal trial. However, the ACCC has agreed to abandon its action against Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU)...
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Huge payout as court defends ‘community standards' on PPL
Roy Morgan Research has been ordered to pay a $52k penalty and could face another $100k in compensation for retrenching an employee while she was on maternity leave and after she had requested a return to work part-time. While still finalising the amount of general damages for economic loss, the Federal Circuit Court also assessed the market resear...
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Editorial Team
Editor: David Marin-Guzman, (02) 8587 7682, david.marin-guzman@thomsonreuters.com . Chief Journalist: Gerard May. Managing Editor: Peter Schwab. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
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Summary dismissal for lying okay despite employer intimidation
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has found an employer did not unfairly dismiss an employee who changed her medical certificate to return to work early, despite finding it had acted in an intimidatory fashion and denied her a support person during her termination interview. Commissioner Jennifer Hunt found Alpha Flight Services Pty Ltd had a valid re...
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‘Sexually hostile' workplace means less compensation: employer
A Melbourne pub has failed in its bid to heavily discount the compensation it must pay to an adverse action victim after losing its argument her sacking was good for her and her alleged sexual harassment meant she would not have returned to work. Federal Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Jones said Brighton Road Enterprises Pty Ltd t/as The Grosvenor Hot...
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Editorial Team
Editor: David Marin-Guzman, (02) 8587 7682, david.marin-guzman@thomsonreuters.com . Chief Journalist: Gerard May. Managing Editor: Peter Schwab. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
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CFMEU whistleblower case hangs in the balance
The Federal Circuit Court has reserved judgment on the NSW construction union's argument that it was not the true employer of whistleblowers Andrew Quirk and Brian ‘Jock' Miller in an effort to stymie their adverse action claims. The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) NSW branch has argued Quirk and Miller - who claim they were...
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CFMEU hit with $132k RoE penalty for ‘demoralising lack of respect'
The Federal Circuit Court has penalised the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) South Australian branch and five officials, including its secretary, a total $132k for illegal entry and refusal to leave three SA construction sites in 2014. Judge Berna Collier fined the CFMEU $110k, and officials David Bolton $8k, Michael Huddy $2k, Bre...
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Qantas liable for w/comp over arrest of flight attendant
A Qantas flight attendant jailed in the United States after allegedly putting his penis in a female colleague's mouth while staying in a work-paid motel - a claim found later to be unsubstantiated - is entitled to workers' compensation for the traumatic effects of the imprisonment, the Qld Industrial Court (QIC) has held. On May 22, 2013, Qantas tr...
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‘Sexually hostile' workplace means less compensation: employer
A Melbourne pub has failed in its bid to heavily discount the compensation it must pay to an adverse action victim after losing its argument her sacking was good for her and her alleged sexual harassment meant she would not have returned to work. Federal Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Jones said Brighton Road Enterprises Pty Ltd t/as The Grosvenor Hot...
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Uber opposes regulating IR in ridesharing sector
Ride sharing giant Uber has opposed any move to regulate drivers' workplace arrangements, telling a NSW parliamentary inquiry that “existing workplace settings for the ridesharing industry are adequate”. In its submission to the Workplace Arrangements in the Point to Point Transport Industry” inquiry , Uber argued regulators shoul...
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Failed TURC police charges continue to stack up
Failed prosecutions from the Trade Union Royal Commission (TURC) police taskforce now total seven, with not guilty verdicts handed down this week against two Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) Qld officials. The Brisbane Magistrates Court confirmed to Workforce that on Monday (July 18) and Wednesday (July 20) it discharged Qld organi...
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Editorial Team
Editor: David Marin-Guzman, (02) 8587 7682, david.marin-guzman@thomsonreuters.com . Chief Journalist: Gerard May. Journalist: Bernadette McBride. Managing Editor: Peter Schwab. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
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