A landmark contempt finding and accompanying jail sentence hailed as proof of the FWO's commitment to justice has been overturned by a full Federal Court that found the ruling judge's "open" hostility to the underpaying employer compromised his ability to consider the evidence.
The AFP did not discriminate against a police officer seeking to have 32 weeks of half-pay maternity leave count towards her service, the Federal Court finding the relevant agreement's intention was only to cover full-pay periods.
The long-serving former chief executive of a Queensland charity is more than $30,000 out of pocket after securing a minor win as part of his wrongful termination case but being labelled "dishonest" in his employer's successful cross-claim.
About 1800 waterfront workers have today begun a campaign of rolling strikes at DP World container terminals across Australia this week, after the MUA and stevedore failed to reach agreement on a new enterprise deal.
An employee criticised as being ungrateful about securing a restaurant job despite her disability has won $12,500 in compensation for the hurt and humiliation she experienced during her dismissal after 12 weeks.
In a decision vindicating the FWO's resistance to the grouping of multiple contraventions for the purpose of setting penalties, the workplace watchdog has won a fivefold increase in fines imposed on an underpaying company director.
The Morrison Government is looking to win crossbench support in the Senate for its crackdown on unions and officials who repeatedly break the law by stressing that it is aligning their treatment with that applying to wayward companies and directors under the Corporations Act 2001.
A senior FWC member in upholding a Virgin Australia ground crew worker's dismissal over pilfered cigarettes has noted that "one's fate" is often sealed by attempted cover-ups rather than the actual misconduct, further observing that the former employee did himself no favours when posting on social media that the airline's HR partner was a "despicable human being".
A Fair Work Commission member has for the second time in two days refused to re-allocate arbitration of a CFMMEU matter, insisting parties "don't get to decide" despite full bench advice that those conciliating a dispute should automatically step aside from arbitrating it if a party objects.
The Federal Court has ordered a timber factory to reinstate a CFMMEU delegate while it determines his adverse action claim, noting a "distinct coincidence" in his sacking soon after joining the union and becoming involved in bargaining that appears "too acute to be accidental".
