In a decision highlighting the difficulties that can arise from agreement clauses linked to awards and the NES, the FWC has handed back Simplot workers' arbitration rights for casual conversion disputes but removed mention of their entitlement to access permanency after nine months.
The agency that advises the Federal Government on the pricing of aged care says the FWC's historic work value case will result in average pay increases of 11.5% for nurses working in the sector.
A FWC full bench has rejected a farmworker's bid to scrap casual overtime award rates she claims prompted an employer to sideline her during a peak harvest period because she reached the maximum ordinary hours.
Interested parties have until June 16 to respond to a FWC bench's proposal to amend model award terms to highlight the two "alternative and parallel avenues" now available to resolve disputes over flexible work and unpaid parental leave requests.
The NSW IRC has rejected a senior public servant's bid to suppress her suspension for alleged corrupt conduct, holding to the notion of open justice while questioning why she failed to make the application earlier.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has played down the significance of FWC president Adam Hatcher questioning whether a perceived big increase in the minimum wage could contribute to further increases in interest rates.
A senior Treasury Department official says the Federal Budget's forecast that inflation will drop back to 2% to 3% by mid-2025 assumes the FWC will make a minimum wage ruling that "broadly proxies" last year's increases.
The AiG says the FWC should take into account the Budget's substantial cost-of-living relief for the low-paid in granting an increase no higher than 3.8% in this year's minimum wage case, while the Albanese Government says there are "no signs" of a wage-price spiral and reiterates its view that the real wages of low-paid workers should not "go backwards".
The RBA is continuing to warn about the dangers of a wage-price spiral, saying the chances of it have declined, but could rise again if the FWC awards a "large" minimum rise this year or government employers ease or drop pay caps.
The FWC has ruled that an employer's once-yearly payments to a worker to reduce his fringe benefits tax liability are not counted as earnings, clearing the way for him to pursue an unfair dismissal claim because his remuneration is below the high-income cap.