Today
High Court leaves CFMEU administrator with no more excuses
The failed High Court challenge to the CFMEU administration has cleared a path to cleaning out the union. But the administrator still has to walk it.
David Pocock blasts ANU leadership for ‘trashing’ institution
The independent senator believes urgent action is needed and has written to education minister Jason Clare about management of the national university.
High Court ruling on CFMEU a ‘line in the sand’ moment for cleanout
The CFMEU administrator has declared the High Court backing of the administration will make way for systemic industry reforms.
Yesterday
John Setka exposed to steep penalties after court no shows
The former CFMEU Victoria boss has been given 10 days to respond or face judgment over claims he tried to force the AFL to sack its head of umpires.
This Month
Union push for workers to have right to refuse to use AI
Unions want a right to refuse to use AI if it’s not in the public interest in measures that may clash with the Labor’s light-touch approach at its productivity roundtable.
Union suggests Labor laws could reverse past penalty rate cuts
The Albanese government’s promised laws would “negate” any decisions to remove or reduce penalty rates, unions warn.
Directors’ club open to annual elections
Australian Institute of Company Directors chair Naomi Edwards says the business community could live with annual elections of directors.
This hairdresser hired 22 people. She’s no longer a small business
A government review into the small business threshold for workplace laws is expected this week and employers say it should be Labor’s priority.
CFMEU organiser on threat charges faces new inquiry
Joel Shackleton, who kept his union role despite facing criminal charges, is now under investigation over claims of kicking off an Indigenous firm from a government project.
Which emoji you should use to say ‘thank you’
Gen Z workers are ascendant, but research shows they find workplace communication a struggle. Are emojis the future of office comms?
Unions will push AI regulation and pay at productivity summit
White-collar groups want protections for workers disrupted by artificial intelligence while blue-collar ones are seeking wage rises through productivity boosts.
BHP sparkies fight for $250k pay standard in the Pilbara
Electricians in the Pilbara are preparing to fight for an 18 per cent pay rise, while critical rail workers have opened up a new union front.
Holding the status of ‘doctor’ just became even more common
Some pharmacy postgraduates can now call themselves by the title, in a change that has left MDs and academics unimpressed.
Pub directors facing tax scam allegations chased for $245m
Two alleged players in what may be one of the country’s biggest GST scams if proven face legal action alleging breaches of directors’ duties and insolvency laws.
The brutal truth about being fired these days
Sacking people is sometimes necessary. But dismissing people by email or phone is still distressingly common and needs to stop.
Unions turn on each other in war over Woodside gas
A vicious fight is playing out on WA’s biggest construction project, raising the spectre of major industrial disruption next year as pay talks get under way.
Miners fight back in the Pilbara with cash and lawyers
Rio Tinto and BHP are pushing back against attempts to unionise the iron ore-rich region for the first time in 30 years.
New MP Mary Aldred urges business to help women into the Liberals
The new Liberal member for the Victorian seat of Monash, one of seven female lower house representatives for the party, says employers need to take a bigger role in boosting women into their ranks.
The surprise pay rise tucked away in minimum wage ruling
Employer groups have reacted with alarm to the Fair Work Commission’s proposal, which was buried inside the 63-page minimum wage decision.
Minister accused of intervention in penalty rates case
New Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth’s letter to the Fair Work Commission has prompted it to consider delaying its ruling on retail workers’ penalty rates.
Female lawyers may be in line for a big pay rise
Graduate lawyers, academics, actors, architects and book editors are next in line for potentially significant gender pay rises following the minimum wage decision.
Historic real increase to minimum wage ‘not sustainable’
Employers say the Fair Work Commission has underestimated how bad productivity growth is and the biggest real increase to award wages since 2019 can’t be sustained.
The perks workers really want
In the work-from-home era, office-based perks are out. Here are companies winning over staff with modern benefits.
Make penalties on WFH part of productivity talks, business tells Labor
Employers will push for flexibility around work hours and penalty rates when employees work from home in talks with the workplace relations minister.
‘No time wasters’: Why workplace ditherers are no longer tolerated
Rejecting time wasters can seem abrupt. But in our overloaded age, taking up valuable time is also an affront.