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234 latest award changes - in alphabetical order by name of award

Donut King unable to justify hole in payments

A Donut King outlet which deliberately underpaid 10 of its casual staff – some as young as 15 – has been fined $30,000. Delivering his verdict, Federal Magistrate Philip Burchardt said it was “important that people in low-paid jobs with only basic conditions of employment get at the very least the minimum entitlements …”

Federal Magistrate Burchardt said a proper penalty was important as a general deterrent, noting that breaches of workplace laws were “regrettably rife in the retail industry”.

The court was told that the KNL Group Pty Ltd – trading as Donut King at Melbourne’s Cranbourne Centro Shopping Centre – had underpaid 10 casual staff amounts Continue reading →

400 latest award changes - in alphabetical order by name of award

Random audits today for retail outlets at Chadstone shopping centre

The Federal Workplace Ombudsman will send in a team of six workplace inspectors to randomly audit up to 100 retail outlets at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre today and tomorrow.

The audit will check to see if employers are complying with their time and wages records and pay slip obligations.

The blitz follows a similar campaign at Melbourne’s Southland Shopping Centre last month.
Four other major shopping centres – Dandenong, Fountain Gate, Geelong and Mornington Peninsula – will be targeted between November and February.

40 latest award changes - N through to Z

The latest 40 award changes affecting industries and occupations commencing with the letters N through to Z.  Industries include Building & Construction; Cattle; Nurses; Off-Course Agency; Pest Control, Aboriginal Council; Ports; Tourism; Local Council; Roofing; Salaried Professionals; Security; Social & Community Services; Power; St; John Ambulance; Tabcorp; Coal; Timber; Travel; Uranium; Legal Profession; & Weight Watchers

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29 latest award changes - L through to M

The latest 29 award changes affecting industries and occupations commencing with the letters L through to M.  Industries include Laundries; Liquor & Accommodation; Local Government; Medical Benefits; Metals; Mining; Mobile Cranes; Motor; & Municipalities. Continue reading →

24 latest award changes - D through to J

The latest 24 award changes affecting industries and occupations commencing with the letters D through to J.  Industries include Disability Services; Electricity; Engine Drivers; Gas; Fibre Processing; Fish; Food Beverages and Tobacco; Migrants; Gardening; General Employees; Glass; Catering; Mining; Training; Hairdressing; Health; Hotels; Ice-Making; Independent Schools; & Insulation

    Continue reading →

36 latest award changes - A through to C

The latest 36 award changes affecting industries and occupations commencing with the letters A through to C.  Industries include Aboriginal, Airline, ASU, Automotive, Bakers, Butter, Building, Clerical, Cemetery, City Officers, Coal, Coles, Commercial Sales, & Crisis Services. Continue reading →

17 latest award changes - Local Government, Construction, Clerks, Hairdressing etc

  1. National Building and Construction Industry Award 2000
  2. Hairdressing and Beauty Services - Victoria - Award 2001 Continue reading →

Appointment of Executive Director to Fair Work Australia announced

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, has announced the appointment of Ms Marion van Rooden as the Executive Director of the Fair Work Australia Establishment Taskforce.

Fair Work Australia will be the new independent umpire overseeing the Rudd Government’s new workplace relations system. Continue reading →

NT Government wins against Union’s desire to disrupt senior students study program

In what the Australian Education Union is claiming as a first, the Northern Territory Labour Government has used the provisions in the current WorkChoices legislation to present a case before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) – seeking to stop teachers going on strike and by doing so disadvantaging senior students.

The AIRC has agreed with the Northern Territory Government and has suspended any further protected action until Continue reading →

Small Business Fair Dismissal Code Checklist

The release of detail related to the new Workplace Relations Law include the promise that new Unfair Dismissal Laws will start (if possible) from July 2009.  Whilst in general the changes will not affect employers who currently have 100 or more employees, the laws do significantly impact upon employers with less than 100 - and even more so with regards those employers with less than 15 employees.

As a precursor the Rudd/Gillard government has detailed that an unfair dismissal application for employees in such a business will not be available until after 12 months of employment.  Further small business employers who are able to prove they have dismissed via the Fair Dismissal Code will be found to have dismissed fairly.

Below is the intended Code Checklist - we would suggest that small businesses begin their preparation for the implementation of this code as soon as possible. Continue reading →

Award changes - Gas, electricity, etc

AlintaGas - ASU and CEPU Award 1999

Electricity Industry (Western Power Corporation) Award 2000

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Synopsis on new Australian Industrial Relations System announced today

Some members will be aware that The Oi Group’s Senior Partner was a part of the Business Advisory Group consisting of 11 organisations who have been meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard to consult on behalf of major Australian employers with regards the development of key elements of the Government’s workplace relations reforms. That period of development and consultation, as well as further extensive consultation with unions, other employers and state and territory stakeholders has now concluded. Today the Deputy Prime Minister announced the following details.

The new workplace relations system will be built on:

Continue reading →

Will Rudd/Gillard be able to keep promise regarding redundancy obligations for small businesses?

In last week’s statement and exposure draft concerning award modernisation the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) detailed at clause 23 that it had included in the draft model provision regarding redundancy a requirement for … severance pay, at reduced levels, for employees of small employers.

Today Deputy Prime Minister and Employment Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has indicated that the government would be making a submission Continue reading →