Under arrangements agreed to today between lawyers acting for the ACTU and counsel assisting the inquiry, unions will have until 2pm this Thursday to file written submissions, if they want to continue with the application to have Commissioner Heydon disqualified from presiding over the Royal Commission.
The ACTU is seeking to build opposition to cutting weekend penalty rates through a mass door-knock in marginal seats across Australia in mid-September, while employer associations are pushing crossbench senators to back the Government's bill to re-establish the ABCC.
The Productivity Commission has called for the FWC in its four-yearly review of awards to align Sunday penalty rates in hospitality, entertainment, restaurants and cafes with those payable on Saturdays.
The Productivity Commission in its draft IR inquiry report, released this morning, has recommended the 100% Sunday penalty rates for cafes, hospitality, entertainment, restaurants and retailing be aligned with Saturday rates.
In rare public comments by a member of the Fair Work Commission, Vice-President Michael Lawler has rejected allegations or imputations of wrongdoing against him as "demonstrably false and malicious".
CPSU members in 17 APS agencies are set to begin a campaign of rolling four-hour stoppages next month, as the union seeks to pressure the federal government to increase its sub-inflation pay offers.
The Abbott Government has quietly dropped re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission and creating the Registered Organisations Commission as "major priorities" in its 2015-16 Budget.