The ACTU will push for a pay hike of 5 per cent in the upcoming annual wage review, arguing that an inflation-beating pay increase can be afforded by businesses when profits are surpassing their pre-pandemic levels. But the ACTU’s claim will be met with fierce resistance by employers, while theContinue Reading
The country’s largest business organisation will push for a pay increase of “not more than 2 per cent” in the upcoming annual wage review, as it warned of a cost squeeze facing small business and the effect of a significant hike on the jobs market. The review, conducted by theContinue Reading
Australia’s ‘dirtiest’ car brands have been named and shamed in new analysis, as the battle over mooted pollution caps for new vehicles picks up speed. Last month, the Albanese government unveiled proposed fuel efficiency standards that would impose fleetwide pollution caps on automotive manufacturers, bringing Australia into line with otherContinue Reading
Labor has been left scrambling, after the Greens snuck through criminal penalties that mean bosses who fail to comply with the “right to disconnect” could face jail time. The government’s Closing Loopholes No 2 Bill passed the Senate late on Thursday, after Labor clinched a deal with the minor partyContinue Reading
Australians who will miss out on generous tax cuts aren’t mostly wealthy company bosses or bankers, but ordinary hardworking tradies and small business owners, one economic commentator argues. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today confirmed the government will water down Stage 3 tax cuts, taking money from those on higher incomesContinue Reading
Skyrocketing supermarket prices and surging airfares have been examined in a union-backed inquiry into allegations of price-gouging by business. The nation’s peak union body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, is currently conducting the probe which is led by former competition tsar professor Allan Fels. Fels was the inaugural chairContinue Reading
Anthony Albanese has been dealt a fresh blow after the Coalition teamed up with key crossbenchers to scuttle the timeline of Labor’s industrial relations reform. The Senate voted on Thursday to push the reporting date of an inquiry into legislation the government says will close “loopholes” in labour hire untilContinue Reading
Truckies will be targeted by a new federal body that will set minimum standards for owner-drivers under proposed changes to the nation’s workplace laws. Tabled by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke as part of an omnibus bill on Monday, the changes will establish an ‘Expert Panel’ for the road transportContinue Reading
The price of having takeaway delivered or catching an Uber will rise under proposed changes to workplace rules, Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has conceded. The mooted changes will give Australia‘s industrial umpire – the Fair Work Commission – the power to create minimum standards, including pay andContinue Reading
Tougher rules that would make it harder for major corporations seeking to acquire their smaller rivals are set to be considered under a new two-year review into Australia’s competition settings. Announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Competition assistant minister Andrew Leigh on Wednesday, a new two-year review will be managedContinue Reading