Employment, wages and industrial relations — the people side of Australian business.
The maritime unions want 5% a year, a $5,000 sign-on payment and extra super. The port says its offer is fair, the action is unnecessary, and cargo will keep moving.
The market operator argued the industrial action could create ‘catastrophic’ risks. The union says its members will never compromise safety, and the dispute is now headed for arbitration.
1 Nov 2026
The Fair Work Ombudsman has told Senate Estimates it has not yet referred any matter to prosecutors, though six criminal investigations are under way and dozens more matters are being assessed.
31 Oct 2026
The workplace regulator’s 2025–26 annual report shows recoveries for underpaid workers up 27%, a record 31,596 anonymous reports and large corporates accounting for almost half the money returned.
30 Oct 2026
With annual inflation at 4.3%, the ACT’s biggest coordinated public sector strike since self-government and planned stoppages at Sydney Airport show pay offers are struggling to keep up.
29 Oct 2026
Trucking operators say rivals using sham contracting are beating them on price by up to 30 per cent. The Fair Work Ombudsman has 24 active cases, and the arithmetic applies well beyond freight.
20 Oct 2026
More than 12 per cent of cafés, restaurants and takeaway businesses have closed in a year, and the payment data published since has got worse, not better.
14 Oct 2026
