Legal page 369 of 569

The Fair Work Commission has blocked an attempt by 83 employees of an oil and gas refinery at Geelong from resigning en masse as members of an in-house Fire Auxiliary Team in a disagreement over safety and training.

A review of the 2015 amendments to the Fair Work Act's greenfields agreements provisions has rejected union pleas to axe "last offer" arbitration - despite a failure by employers to utilise it - and has recommended reducing from six months to three the "negotiating period" before the FWC can break deadlocks.

The ACTU's policy pitch for the next election will include the right for casual workers to convert to permanent after six months, equal rights for workers in the gig economy and a overhaul of labour hire regulation.

In the wake of the public spotlight on the Qantas "inclusive language" guidelines, one of its baggage handlers has failed to convince the FWC that tearing a colleague's shirt, shoving him against a locker and telling him to f-ck off back to his country were not sackable offences but rather a bit of "argy bargy" between friends, consistent with the workplace culture.

A judge has chosen to overlook an admission of adverse action included in a solicitor's "embellished" employer response, despite noting that the statement was approved by the company's director.

A labour hire employee who lost an offer to shift to direct employment with his host employer after IR staff became aware of his dual identity has failed in unfair dismissal claims against both parties, in a ruling in which the FWC also rejected his joint employment arguments.

FSU legally represented in banking royal commission; "No end date" comment spurs on-hire dismissal claim; Company's "secret" to closing gender pay gap; Disputes at decade-long low; and surprising lift in US private sector union membership.

Uber drivers subsidising the company: Paper; ANU academic pursuing s-x discrimination claim; Cricket injury between shifts employment-related: Tribunal.

The AWU will seek to call Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash as a witness in their Federal Court proceedings over the AFP raids on union offices last year.

In a decision where the employer's case was embarrassingly "scuttled" by its own witness, a senior FWC member has found that Ausgrid failed to inform four safety specialists during job interviews that they wouldn't be receiving an allowance due to them under the relevant agreement.