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Unfair dismissal claims under the Fair Work Act continue to rise.  FWA has received more than 550 general protections applications every quarter this financial year.  The tribunal yesterday released its third set of separate statistical reports it deals with under the legislation – this time for the quarter to the end of March this year …Read More…

 A speech delivered at the National Press Club this month;  When considering the question in the context of employment I make the following observation; Employment is a relationship; in theory a relationship between an employee and an employer.  There are two aspects of the employment relationship I wish to discuss today; the rules that apply …Read More…

Gary Johns From: The Australian February 17, 2011 IF I owned a business, I would fear losing a good worker. But I would want an unfettered right to dismiss an employee I no longer wanted to employ. Apparently, this is a tad radical. Instead, I can only sack someone fairly. Sacking someone is never pleasant. …Read More…

This week the Ipswich Mayor relayed a story he found heartwarming on the ABC news: An Ipswich business owner affected by the floods advised his staff that the business could not afford to pay them and that the business would be closing. The staff decided to work for free until the business could afford to …Read More…

This week I am preparing for yet another case in the lawyers lucky dip paradise, the Fair Work Australia unfair dismissal system. Two employees who were caught red handed stealing expensive items from their employer were sacked after a disciplinary meeting. Their Union refused to take their case to Fair Work Australia. However, true to …Read More…

This week I write about a small business owner defending two unfair dismissal claims; A violent and abusive male employee was sacked after a number of incidents, including reporting for work drunk three times and starting a racially motivated fight in the workplace. The workers first action after being sacked was to race off to …Read More…

PRESS RELEASE 24th December 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Industrial relations consultant Grace Collier has presented the HR Nicholls Society with a comprehensive study, they commissioned the former union official to conduct on the ‘frontline’ issues and trends emerging under the new Fair Work system. The report is called The Next 25 Years. HR Nicholls Society …Read More…

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has thrown the onus on business to make the case for IR reform, but says the Coalition will listen if evidence emerges of serious problems. In an interview on the ABC’s Insiders program, Abbott said; “It’s now up to business and others to come to us if they think there are …Read More…

Our system encourages ‘ambulance chasing’ behaviour by lawyers who treat Fair Work Australia like a casino. For a filing fee of $50, an application for unfair dismissal can be lodged. Once this is lodged a phone conference is granted to the lawyer. For one or two hours on the phone, regardless of the merits of …Read More…

Article by Josh Gordon December 26, 2010 SENIOR Liberals are ramping up a push for an industrial relations overhaul – including a no-fault dismissal system to end arbitration that decides the fairness of sackings. Despite Tony Abbott’s declaration that WorkChoices is ”dead, buried and cremated”, the Coalition’s post-election policy review is working on an industrial …Read More…