Institutions, tribunals, courts page 176 of 355

Federal Parliament is set to pass the Morrison Government's $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy tomorrow after changes agreed last night between IR Minister Christian Porter and ACTU secretary Sally McManus.

The FWC's minimum pay panel has extended the annual wage review timetable so it can factor the latest national accounts data into assessing the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but is yet to decide whether "exceptional circumstances" warrant a delay in the operative date.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's dedicated COVID-19 webpage received more than 670,000 hits in the week to April 1.

The ACTU is pressing crossbenchers to oppose the Morrison Government's proposal to amend the Fair Work Act to temporarily provide more flexibility in awards and agreements to deal with the coronavirus crisis when it legislates the JobKeeper wage subsidy program this week.

The FWC has called on the ACTU to urgently step in and take the lead on settling disputes between several unions and Qantas over the airline's refusal to pay sick leave to workers stood down due to the coronavirus.

A full Federal Court has quashed an FWC full bench agreement variation ruling that endorsed a senior member's belief that he could not consider evidence about the intended meaning of a clause because he did not interpret it as ambiguous.

The FWC has rejected a lawyer's bid for a two-year extension to file an unfair dismissal claim on the basis of psychiatric decline, finding his leadership role at another firm suggested a different reality.

"Free" childcare might not keep council centres open, warns union; 'Virtual picket line' to support extending wage subsidy; Unsighted lawyer ordered to take practice management course.

The ACTU has resisted employer arguments to delay any rise in minimum pay, while it has accepted that the annual wage review timetable should be amended to enable the expert panel to consider national accounts data that is likely to identify the early economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described his government's close consultation with the Opposition in drafting legislation to give effect to the JobKeeper coronavirus wage subsidy program that will be put to Parliament next week, while joining IR Minister Christian Porter in thanking unions for their cooperation in achieving "massive" temporary IR changes.