A former Fair Work Commission deputy president has called for the industrial umpire to be carved up and responsibility for the setting of the minimum wage and award standards, including penalty rates, to be invested in a new independent body subject to parliamentary oversight. Brendan McCarthy, who stepped down from the FWC in December 2014, said the Fair Work Commission was not the appropriate body and no longer had the best experience to set Australia’s minimum workplace standards.
January 25, 2017
Melbourne Health will face a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) before Commissioner Cribb in Conference Room E & F – Level 6 in Melbourne at 2pm (Bailey).
January 25, 2017
A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application by Minda Incorporated for its Minda Incorporated Enterprise Agreement No.9, 2016 has been ratified by Commissioner Saunders in Newcastle yesterday.
January 25, 2017
An application for approval of the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation Enterprise Agreement 2016 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) will be determined by Commissioner Roe in his Melbourne chambers at 12.15pm today.
January 24, 2017
The lawyer for former union boss Kathy Jackson has told the Melbourne Magistrates Court that if it was not for a significant number of missing documents, his client would be exonerated. The one-time whistleblower on union corruption is accused of misappropriating more than $480,000 from the Health Services Union between 2003 and 2011. Jackson appeared in court today, facing 70 charges of theft and deception. Police allege she spent $100,000 of the money on travel, including trips to Hong Kong, Los Angeles and a stay at the luxury Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. Her lawyer, Philip Beazley, told the court he wanted to examine 68 witnesses during the committal hearing. He said their memory of why certain transactions of Jackson’s were approved would be important as large numbers of union documents, including meeting minutes, had gone missing. Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg quipped “Was there a flood or something?” Mr Beazley said he was unsure, however the minutes were gone and he would have to examine members of the Health Services Union on their memories of expenditure approvals for Jackson. “The minutes would exonerate us. We don’t have them,” he said. Jackson was supported in court by her partner, former Fair Work Commission vice president Michael Lawler, and sat on the floor for part of the court session due to a lack of seats. She will face a four week committal hearing from November 13.
January 24, 2017
Australia will today welcome its first indigenous person into the Commonwealth ministry as Ken Wyatt takes on the role of Minister for Indigenous Health and Ages Care. Federal politicians have gathered at Government House in Canberra ahead of a swearing-in ceremony, prompted by the registration of former Health Minister Sussan Ley. Greg Hunt was announced as Ms Ley’s replacement last week,. taking on the health portfolio as park of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s fourth reshuffle since taking top office less than 18 months ago. Arthur Sinodinos, who has been acting health minister since Ms Ley stepped down, will now take over the industry, innovations and science portfolios.
January 24, 2017
A former paramedic has claimed a drug investigation has left Geelong’s ambulance service understaffed and overworked, and exhausted paramedics were more likely to make mistakes. The former paramedic, who asked to remain anonymous, said Geelong was relying on paramedics working overtime to cover a hole left in the workforce by the suspension of at least 10 members of its ranks. The source claimed Geelong’s ambulance service had been asking paramedics to take on overtime shifts every day since at least November. “Sometimes three or four text messages a day with three or four shifts in them,” the source said.
January 24, 2017
Former prime minister Tony Abbot has seized on the shock resignation of vice-president Graeme Watson to accuse the workplace tribunal of being “pro union and anti-jobs” while business groups have called for the Turnbull government to overhaul the commission to address claims of dysfunction and bias.
