In the News

  • Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is seeking submissions on changes to improve the Modern Slavery Act that was introduced in 2019. In an issues paper released last week, the Attorney General has posed 27 questions, including whether the Act's mandatory reporting threshold for companies with $100 million in revenue or more should be lowered and whether the due diligence steps should be 'spelled out more explicitly'.

In the Courts

  • The Fair Work Commission has dismissed an anti-bullying claim on the grounds that the worker who lodged the claim delayed its resolution to preserve his employment and avoid dismissal.
  • Judge Vasta of the Federal Circuit and Family Court has ordered the CFMEU to pay maximum civil penalties for its behavior on the Cross River Rail project. Among other things, Judge Vasta held that the CFMEU organisers had used a homophobic slur by calling a safety adviser "a pumpkin eater", despite the ABCC not submitting this in their claim. The CFMEU has stated that it will appeal the decision.

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