This November 2024 edition of the Significant Workplace Relations Issues Report provides Ai Group members with an update on a range of major developments, including the following:

• Key recent legislative developments, including the registering of further exemptions for the fixed term contract limitations, the independent statutory review of the amendments introduced by the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022  as well as changes to ‘right of entry’ to assist HSRs, the passing of Net Zero Economy legislation, a new positive Respect@Work duty in Queensland and the passing of bills providing for the payment of superannuation on Commonwealth-funded parental leave pay, the passing of a portable long service leave bill for community service workers in South Australia, the introduction of a bill in Western Australia to amend the Industrial Relations Act 1979.
• Major cases in the Fair Work Commission dealing with matters such as continuing proceedings about gender-based undervaluation in five ‘priority’ modern awards, new proceedings to develop model dispute, consultation and flexibility clauses for enterprise agreements, a successful Ai Group application varying the Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award 2020, determinations issued giving effect to work value variations of the Aged Care Award 2010, Nurses Award 2020 and Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 and progress updates regarding various ongoing proceedings.
• Trends in enterprise bargaining.
• Other major developments and cases dealing with matters including, applications for minimum standards orders to cover certain employee-like workers and road transport contractors, an application for a ‘road transport contractual chain order’, various applications to the FWC for regulated labour hire arrangement orders, an application for judicial review of a single interest employer authorisation impacting major employers in the black coal mining sector, an application for judicial review relating to the new ‘delegates’ rights term’ included in several awards and a Full Bench FWC decision relating to impairment and drug use.
• Various government inquiries and consultation processes concerning matters including the development of deactivation and termination codes for employee-like and road transport workers, the development of ‘safe harbour’ mechanisms related to the imminent wage theft offences, potential changes to the Privacy Act, a report from an inquiry into issues related to menopause and perimenopause and the Victorian Government’s inquiry into workplace surveillance.