IR landscape uncertain: Workforce analysis

By Workforce on August 27, 2010

The ‘dead-heat’ election result has cast uncertainty over IR, with no news as of press time (Aug 27) on the outcome of negotiations between Labor, the Coalition and the independents and Bandt. The Australian Industry Group said a hung parliament coupled with a minor party holding the balance of power in the senate was a ...more

HR specialists dominated Q2

By HR Report on August 25, 2010

Q2 brought good news for HR specialists. April saw a sharp increase in the number of internal contract and permanent recruitment roles and many heavy industry employers boosted the size of their internal recruitment teams as they planned for growth, Robert Walters HR & Safety market insights survey revealed. Mining’s “high alert” over the proposed ...more

Parties promise EEO reform

By Discrimination Alert on August 20, 2010

The Federal discrimination and diversity area will see major changes post-election if the successful party sticks by its election promises. Both major parties have promised to add sexual orientation to Commonwealth anti-discrimination law. Shadow Attorney-General George Brandis made the commitment on August 13. Labor has also promised $3m from July 1, 2011 to create a ...more

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Coalition wins miners’ support on IR

By Workforce on August 13, 2010

Mining companies have rated the Coalition’s IR election performance above Labor’s, mainly because of its plans to retain the Aust Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) in its current form. Aust Mining and Minerals Association (AMMA) this week released a scorecard analysing workplace policy under the major political parties. It gave the Coalition a rating of ...more

Abbott puts PPL back 12 months

By Discrimination Alert on August 12, 2010

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott fine-tuned his 26-week paid parental leave (PPL) scheme, delaying its start and reducing the impost on business. The Coalition scheme will kick in on July 1, 2012 (18 months after Labor’s scheme would start) and the levy imposed on big businesses to pay for it has been dropped 0.2%. Abbott said ...more

Baby boomer time bomb ignites global war for talent

By HR Report on August 11, 2010

Retiring baby boomers pose the most worrying threat to global labour force skill sets in engineering sectors such as oil & gas, mining & metals, power & utilities, financial services and the automotive sector, Ernst & Young’s Global Business Risk Report 2010 warns. The baby boomer “demographic time bomb” was ticking steadily as skills weren’t ...more

Labor promises $60.8m redundancy payment guarantee

By Workforce on July 26, 2010

Workers will be guaranteed up to four weeks’ pay for each year of service if they are made redundant, PM Julia Gillard promised under a new ‘protecting workers’ entitlements’ package revealed on the weekend.
The four-year, $60.8m package has three elements: the fair entitlements guarantee, securing super, and strengthening corporate and taxation law.
“Workers who lose their ...more

Dead have rights too: appeal panel

By Discrimination Alert on July 21, 2010

A person need not be living for another to claim discrimination by reason of being their “associate”, three NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal appeal panel members have found.
Overturning an earlier finding, ADT President Kenneth O’Connor, Deputy President David Patten and non-judicial Member Barbara Field found the word ‘person’ in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act did not to ...more

Employer hiring confidence strongest since April 2008

By HR Report on July 14, 2010

Businesses are rushing to backfill positions left vacant last year and are hiring for new roles to take advantage of improved market conditions, a new report reveals.
Released on July 7, Hudson’s employment expectations report showed employers were “clearly moving fast to strengthen their workforces and position themselves for growth and increasing competition”.
Based on interviews with ...more