Recent news
Latest items of recent news relevant to Australia as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.
Australia: A quarter of all workers not paid $5 billion in super
A research and advocacy body has published a report on the operation of “super funds” …
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Australia: Victoria announces new $200 million support package
The Victorian Government has announced a $200 million stimulus package to support jobs across the state …
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Australia: New ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ bill filed in the senate
A Bill before the Senate aims to amend the Fair Work Act 2009 by requiring contractors hired under modern awards to be paid the same as employees …
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Australia: Legal representation
The ban on legal representation before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) may be lifted in cases where there is some complexity, dangers of a power imbalance or representation would improve the efficiency of the hearing …
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Australia: Government shelves religious discrimination bill
The government has been forced into withdrawing Bills that would have introduced religion as a protected category into federal law …
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Australia: Temporary changes to visa work conditions for students and working holiday makers
Temporary measures have been introduced to provide immediate assistance to Australian businesses currently facing critical workforce shortages …
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Australia: Worker classification
Two high court cases have re-established the importance of what is written into the contracts of independent contractors and how much detailed control is exercised over a worker …
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Australia: Qantas to cancel international flight attendants agreement
The national airline Qantas has filed a Fair Work Commission (FWC) application to end its enterprise agreement for international flight attendants …
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Australia: WA’s updated Safe Transition Plan from 5 February, 2022
The Western Australian (WA) border will no longer be opened up – as originally planned – on 5th February 2022 …
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Australia: Job vacancies (December 2021)
Job advertisements continue to run in all States and Territories at well above pre-covid levels …
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Australia: COVID-19 vaccine claims scheme
It is still too early to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine claims scheme (VCS) that was established in September 2021 …
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Australia: Class action launched against McDonald’s over 10-minute paid breaks
Class action against McDonald’s over provision of rest breaks.
The company is being hit with the action following a Federal Court decision last August over a similar claim. Under McDonald’s Enterprise Agreement, a 10-minute break must be given within shifts lasting more than 4.5 hours and two 10-minute breaks if the shifts are 9 or more hours. This particular claim concerns lost breaks, in spite of the company being apparently aware of an employee’s alleged medical condition – pulmonary sclerosis (which happens to be so rare and obscure the company would have found it difficult to evaluate it). Now the no win, no fee law firm that specializes in such actions is calling on other McDonald’s employees to join the pursuit.
Australia: No extra Christmas Day pay for SA workers
A proposed amendment to the Holidays Act 1910 has lapsed in the South Australian Parliament …
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Australia: Employers want end to rules requiring port jobs to go to ‘family and friends’ of union members
Pre-entry closed shops in the ports sector are reducing competition in the labour market …
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Australia: NT Boxing Day declared public holiday
Northern Territories is changing the practice of employing essential workers this Christmas …
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