The ACTU recently announced its agenda for the next federal election, with work and family commitments and Medicare at the top of the list. Unions recently met to discuss the agenda and the progress of the ACTU’s Work and Family Test Case which is to be heard in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission later this year
The ACTU recently announced its agenda for the next federal election, with work and family commitments and Medicare at the top of the list. Unions recently met to discuss the agenda and the progress of the ACTU’s Work and Family Test Case which is to be heard in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission later this year. The test case seeks to extend unpaid parental leave from 12 to 24 months, provide flexible working hours and holiday times to accommodate school and childcare and introduce up to five days paid carers leave for parents as well as people caring for older or frail relatives. The ACTU is also seeking new rights for parents to make the switch to part-time work, and wants to extend casual worker’s access to permanent employment on the federal level.
Merger creates largest business school in Asia-Pacific
The merger of the Melbourne and Mt Eliza Business Schools was recently completed, creating the largest provider of management education in the Asia-Pacific. The overall brand will remain Melbourne Business School (MBS) and Mt Eliza will operate as the Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education, a controlled entity of MBS. MBS will operate campuses in Carlton, Mt Eliza, Sydney and Beijing. The new organisational structure features four divisions with a director responsible for each function, while the board of directors will increase from 13 to 16. Professor Paul Rizzo, dean and director of MBS, said the merger had brought the business school in line with major international business schools who offer both scale and quality in all ranges of postgraduate and executive education.
Queensland recruitment association breaks ranks
A group of Queensland recruitment firms recently set up a new state-based industry association after they expressed dissatisfaction with the level of financial support from the Recruitment and Consulting Services Association (RCSA). The new association includes a number of former senior RCSA members, including past Queensland/NT RCSA treasurer Graham Scott, past Queensland/NT state presidents John Clarke and Greg Dhu and past RCSA federal treasurer Graham Smith, while other founding supporters include past state RCSA councillors Ric Willmot and Paul Dunstan. The new association believes that the large majority of industry issues are the domain of state governments, and as such better handled on a state level rather than the federal RCSA level.
State EEO body calls for gender balance
The NSW Equal Employment Opportunity Practitioners’ Association (NEEOPA) recently came out in support of the government’s plan to increase low representation of male teachers, but also encouraged the government to address the low representation of women in particular occupations and at senior levels. The government’s spotlight on male under-representation in one industry may help throw light on women’s under-representation across most industries, particularly at senior levels, according to Juliet Bourke, president of NEEOPA. The latest figures from the Equal Employment Opportunity in the Workplace Agency census demonstrate that women hold only 8 per cent of senior positions in the ASX 200.
Workplace diversity report launched
Drake International and the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Gary Hardgrave, recently launched a report encouraging more Australian organisations to embrace cultural diversity in the workplace. The report, Making diversity work for your organisation and Australia’s future, provides examples of how Australian businesses are investing in diversity and the benefits it offers. Minister Hardgrave said businesses should use this time to revaluate the role diversity plays in their workplace. He encouraged them to capitalise on the language skills, cultural experience and personal networks of employees from different backgrounds.
CPSU & UTS set new award benchmark
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is nearing a landmark agreement on pay and conditions for general staff at the University of Technology Sydney, which will see them receiving a salary increase of more than 20 per cent in just over three years. The agreement will set a new benchmark for pay outcomes in the current University Enterprise Bargaining round, and will also provide for 20 weeks paid parental leave, paid partner leave of two weeks, and improved general staff job security, redundancy and redeployment provisions The round of enterprise bargaining was one of the hardest yet due to the federal government’s interference last year, according to CPSU UTS Branch President Alan Barnes.
