Fair Work Australia has issued a split decision (4:1) granting significant pay increases to workers covered by the social and community services sector Modern Award. VP Watson was the dissenter and would not have awarded anything! The increases range from 19%-41% depending on the MODERN award classification level plus an additional total or aggregate 4% loading. All increases are to be phased in over 9 equal instalments from 1 December 2012 to 1 December 2020.

Read more: FWA -Equal Remuneration Case WIN!

From Kazakhstan: This is shocking stuff -- and it's probably not being picked by mainstream media. This weekend LabourStart is carrying a number of news reports about clashes between armed police and unarmed strikers in Kazakhstan.

The BBC and others are now reporting on 10 strikers having been killed. Maybe even more than that.

We have launched an urgent action campaign to pressure the Kazakh government to stop the killings - please sign up and spread the word.

From Turkey: The cover story on last week's issue of Time magazine was about Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne. According to Time, Marchionne is "the man who saved the car business."

A couple of weeks earlier, the cover story in the same magazine was a puff piece about Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who a week later won Time's poll for the '2011 person of the year'.

Read more: Urgent: Kazakhstani & Turkish Unionists Need Our Support

The inquiry investigating the extent and impact of the growth of casual, labour hire and contract employment in Australia has received more than 300 submissions. The deadline for submissions has been extended, and workers, community groups, unions and employers now have until Friday, 20 January to share their stories about insecure work.

Workers across the country have less than one week left to contribute their experiences to the Independent Inquiry into Insecure Work in Australia, with submissions set to close this Friday.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said an overwhelming number of workers had already lodged their submissions, with 265 received at the end of last week.

“The submissions from workers will provide valuable evidence for the Inquiry to consider the impact insecure work has on people’s ability to plan for their future, to make ends meet and to spend time with family and friends,” she said.

Read more: Extended: Submissions Independent Inquiry into Insecure Work

Fiji refuses entry to Australian and New Zealand unions’ fact-finding mission.

The Fijian Government has today demonstrated its refusal to engage with the international community about human and labour rights after denying entry or consular support to an Australian and New Zealand union fact-finding mission.

The delegation, led by ACTU President Ged Kearney, was denied permission to enter Fiji at Nadi Airport this afternoon, and is on its way back to Sydney.

It is expected to arrive to at Sydney Airport this evening.

Read more: Union Fiji Mission Denied Entry

What is the Fijian Govt trying to hide? Aust and NZ unions to go ahead with visit despite reported ban

Unions from Australia and New Zealand intend to proceed with plans to send a delegation to Fiji this week and have called on the regime to clarify media reports it will ban them from the country.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said she was concerned at unconfirmed reports in today’s Fijian media that the union delegation would not be permitted to enter the country for a three-day mission to investigate allegations of human and labour rights abuses by the military regime.

She said the ACTU and its New Zealand counterpart were seeking clarification from the Fijian Attorney-General, but intended to go ahead with the fact-finding mission, which is the result of requests from Fijian unions and civil society groups.

Read more: Aust and NZ unions to go ahead with visit despite reported ban