The FWO has launched a challenge to last month's Federal Court order for the MUA to pay a $38,000 fine for a single contravention of the prohibition on unlawful strikes, when the watchdog was seeking $3.6 million for what it says was more than 500 breaches during industrial action against stevedore Hutchison Ports.
The ripples from a recent decision upsetting the authority on outer limits contract workers pursuing unfair dismissal claims have reached another jurisdiction, with the WA IR Commission ordering the reinstatement of a septuagenarian school traffic warden who had been "taken advantage" of by the employer.
In a significant decision on out-of-hours conduct, the FWC has ruled that ALDI justifiably dismissed a storeperson for throwing a full beer glass over the heads of colleagues at an official company Christmas party.
Unions will next week consider pushing for stronger remedies for unfair dismissal by adopting measures such as removing the $73,000 compensation limit, enabling employees to pursue more than their lost income and empowering them to seek penalties against employers.
A court has imposed a $71,000 costs order on an HR manager who took a "scattergun" approach to challenging her dismissal, but has stopped short of imposing a similar order on her high-profile Sydney barrister, despite criticising his role in the case.
The NT Master Builders Association is citing a "heavy compliance burden" for seeking to cancel its status as a registered organisation and shift to a corporate structure, a move the Registered Organisations Commission says is now "very unusual".
In a significant decision on entry rights, a Federal Court full bench has confirmed today that a permit holder's right to hold discussions with union members or potential members during "breaks" does not include the period before and after their shifts.
The FWC has slammed the door on a union's persistent efforts to get around coverage issues by installing an "independent" bargaining representative to conduct negotiations on behalf of Linfox tanker drivers, finding it "fanciful" to suggest he was simply acting in a private capacity.
