Latest news with #FairWorkCommission
Herald Sun
2 days ago
- Herald Sun
Jillian McLoglin sacked from St Columba's College for slapping student's hand
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News. An educator who slapped a student on the hand and a human resources manager accused of financial misconduct have both been recently sacked by two leading Melbourne Catholic colleges, court documents reveal. The first is Jillian McLoghlin, a long-serving science technician from St Columba's College in Essendon, and the second is Greg Pargeter, a human resources manager from Mazenod College. A Fair Work Commission unfair dismissal ruling indicates Ms McLoghlin lost her job at the Essendon Catholic girls' school after she was accused of arguing and forcefully slapping a student during a year 9 biology dissection class. Ms McLoghlin admitted to the slap in August last year but said she was trying to protect the student and it was just 'one little incident'. She denied she was arguing with the student but admitted the class had not been following her instructions which had made her cross. Ms McLoghlin claimed she was unfairly dismissed and sought compensation, but the Fair Work Commission ruled last week her sacking was justified. In his ruling, deputy president Alan Colman said video clearly showed the teacher slapping the student. 'Ms McLoghlin turns to her and slaps her hand — A loud smack can be heard,' Mr Colman said. 'The student then recoils, and says, 'Oh my God'. The slap was forceful. 'I find that the reason for which Ms McLoghlin slapped Student A's hand was that she was cross with her. It had nothing to do with safety. 'In this day and age, it is difficult to imagine situations in which it would be appropriate for a teacher or a school assistant to slap the hand of a student,' he said St Columba's College principal Rita Grima, said the school supported the decision of the deputy president Coleman. 'Child safety is paramount. We want a school culture where children are safe and feel safe,' she said. It comes as Mr Pargeter, the human resources and policy manager at Mazenod College since 2018, was terminated on April 11 this year due to alleged misconduct. According to an interim court ruling Mr Pargeter denies he falsified a variation in his employment contract which gave him a financial benefit. His claim for unfair dismissal was given the green light to proceed by Commissioner Radford despite being filed two days late. Mr Pargeter is being supported in his case by Justin Cooney, a lawyer with the Independent Education Union. Mr Pargeter's LinkedIn page says he formerly worked at the Catholic Education Office, in the electorate office of MP Kelvin Thompson and as a senior industrial officer for the United Firefighters Union and the Health Services Union. He was also a teacher at Ferntree Gully Technical School (later Glenfern Secondary College ) and Boronia Heights Secondary College. He is still registered as a non-practicing teacher. In 2008 Mr Pargeter was preselected for the Labor Party in the federal seat of La Trobe but was ousted by the party's federal executive after what he called a 'highly personal campaign of smear and denigration'. He is the son of the late mayor of the City of Berwick, Syd Pargeter, OAM, a well-respected long-serving councillor. A spokeswoman for Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, which runs Mazenod College, confirmed Mr Pargeter is a former employee who is 'asserting his rights under the Fair Work Act'. 'We respect the commission's processes and will participate fully,' she said. The principal of St Columba's College, Rita Grima, said the school supported the decision of the deputy president Coleman. 'Child safety is paramount. We want a school culture where children are safe and feel safe,' she said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pay increase for millions of Australians: Here's what to expect
Millions of Australians will receive a cash boost when minimum wage, superannuation and paid parental leave changes come into effect next month. From July 1, the minimum wage will be increased 3.5 per cent, from $24.10 per hour to $24.95 per hour, affecting more than 2.6million Aussies. The new rate will total $948 per week, based on a 38-hour work week, after the Fair Work Commission decision handed down earlier this month. Nearly 10million Aussies will also get an automatic boost to their retirement savings next month, as the superannuation guarantee rate rises from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It means employers will pay, on average, an extra $317 into employees' super accounts each year. In total, that could mean an extra $132,000 in super for young Australians by the time they retire. The federal government will also start paying super on its paid parental leave scheme, with the change applying to parents who receive parental leave pay on or after July 1. The scheme is also expanding, with the amount of government-funded leave increasing from 20 weeks to 22 weeks on July 1 - part of the Labor government's plan to expand it to 26 weeks by July next year. Also from July 1, Services Australia payments will be indexed (adjusted in line with inflation) by 2.4 per cent. Paid Parental Leave, Family Tax Benefit A and B, the Newborn Supplement, and Multiple Birth Allowance will all receive a modest increase, affecting about 2.4million Australians. For example, a family receiving Family Tax Benefit A will pocket an extra $5 a fortnight. Parents with triplets will receive an extra $120 a year, while first-time parents of a newborn child will pocket an additional $48 over 13 weeks. Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek described indexation as a 'crucial way to help families when cost of living rises'. 'Millions of recipients of social security payments will see more money in their bank account,' Plibersek said.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Millions of Aussies are set to get a cash boost within days as Albanese government goes ahead with huge changes
Millions of Australians will receive a cash boost when minimum wage, superannuation and paid parental leave changes come into effect next month. From July 1, the minimum wage will be increased 3.5 per cent, from $24.10 per hour to $24.95 per hour, affecting more than 2.6million Aussies. The new rate will total $948 per week, based on a 38-hour work week, after the Fair Work Commission decision handed down earlier this month. Nearly 10million Aussies will also get an automatic boost to their Super next month, as the superannuation guarantee rate rises from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. It means employers will pay, on average, an extra $317 into employees' Super accounts each year. In total, that could mean an extra $132,000 in Super for young Australians by the time they retire. The federal government will also start paying Super on its paid parental leave scheme, with the change applying to parents who receive parental leave pay on or after July 1. The scheme is also expanding, with the amount of government-funded leave increasing from 20 weeks to 22 weeks on July 1 - part of the Labor government's plan to expand it to 26 weeks by July next year. Also from July 1, Services Australia payments will be indexed (adjusted in line with inflation) by 2.4 per cent. Paid Parental Leave, Family Tax Benefit A and B, the Newborn Supplement, and Multiple Birth Allowance will all receive a modest increase, affecting about 2.4million Australians. For example, a family receiving Family Tax Benefit A will pocket an extra $5 a fortnight. Parents with triplets will receive an extra $120 a year, while first-time parents of a newborn child will pocket an additional $48 over 13 weeks. Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek described indexation as a 'crucial way to help families when cost of living rises'. 'Millions of recipients of social security payments will see more money in their bank account,' Plibersek said. However, asset limits and income thresholds will also increase by 2.4 per cent. That means some Aussies will become ineligible for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parenting Payment, Special Benefit and Parenting Payment Single. The July indexation will not impact youth and student payments, which are indexed each year in January.
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
What's changing from 1 July: Wages, super, Centrelink payments and more
Australia's lowest-paid workers will receive a pay boost from 1 July, with the national minimum wage increasing by 3.5 per cent. The new rate will be $24.95 per hour, or $948 per week, based on a 38-hour week. The Fair Work Commission decision, handed down earlier this month , affects more than 2.6 million Australians and will apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Millions of Australians will also see a boost to their Centrelink payments, with a 2.4 per cent increase to help ease the rising cost of living. For families receiving Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A, the maximum rate of payment for children aged under 13 will increase to a new rate of $227.36 a fortnight. For children aged 13 or over, the rate will increase to $295.82 a fortnight. The maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part B will increase to $193.34, and for families with a youngest child aged five or over, the rate will increase to $134.96 a fortnight. The FTB has been increased annually since its introduction in 2000, under both Labor and Coalition governments. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a statement the payments were essential for helping families manage the cost of raising children and that indexation is one way the government is making sure support keeps up with inflation. The superannuation guarantee, which is the minimum amount employers must contribute to their employees' super, is set to rise from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent. The new rate applies to all salary and wages paid on or after 1 July, even if the work was performed before that date. The paid parental leave superannuation contribution will apply to parents receiving government-funded parental leave pay on or after 1 July. From 1 July, Australian families will benefit from a more generous paid parental leave scheme, with the amount of government-funded leave increasing from 20 to 22 weeks. This is part of the federal government's plan to progressively expand the scheme to 26 weeks by July 2026, the equivalent of six months of paid leave. Once fully rolled out, families will receive around $24,000 in total support following the birth or adoption of a child. The policy is designed to give parents more time at home with their newborns and greater flexibility in how leave is taken. Parents can choose to take leave separately or at the same time, and spread it across two years, allowing for a staggered return to work or shared caregiving. The government has made changes to Australia's skilled visa system in an effort to reduce worker exploitation and attract talent. A new Core Skills Occupation List will replace the existing Skilled Occupation List, focusing on roles with genuine shortages. Employers will have to meet stricter criteria, including offering market salary rates and proving they've advertised the job locally. The Department of Home Affairs also announced that income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6 per cent. This change will not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2025. NSW will introduce harsher penalties for drivers using their mobile phones. From 1 July, those caught using their phone behind the wheel, even while stationary at traffic lights, can be fined up to $1,209 and lose five demerit points. In Victoria, the road rule requiring drivers to slow down to 40 km/h for emergency responders will now include tow truck, roadside assistance and incident response workers. Queenslanders will see a 3.4 per cent hike in vehicle registration fees as well as traffic fines. Nationally, AI-powered surveillance cameras capable of detecting mobile phone use will be rolled out, as governments crack down on distracted driving.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Perth tipped to have second-lowest rate of businesses going bust over the next year, says CreditorWatch
Perth is tipped to have the second-lowest rate of business failures among the capital cities over the next 12 months, as new figures from credit analysts CreditorWatch hint at a brighter outlook. Adelaide leads the pack, with the city expected to have the lowest rate of businesses going bust over the next year, at 5.15 per cent. It was followed by Perth with a forecast failure rate of 5.2 per cent, then Melbourne (5.81 per cent), Brisbane (5.83 per cent), and Sydney (6.2 per cent). Fresh data from CreditorWatch, to be released on Wednesday, also showed an easing in two key measures of business stress in May. Insolvencies have stabilised to be down 0.9 per cent from April to May, and have now dropped 12 per cent from their peak in November. Meanwhile, business-to-business payment defaults dipped 11.8 per cent in May and were down 18.3 per cent from their December peak. CreditorWatch said the drops suggested the stage three tax cuts — which came into effect last July — as well as the recent interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia, slowing inflation and fiscal support measures were beginning to alleviate some pressures on Australian businesses. But CreditorWatch chief executive Patrick Coghlan warned some sectors remained under pressure, with rising insolvencies being recorded in healthcare and social assistance, retail, transportation, hiring and real estate. Easing insolvency trends were evident in hospitality and construction, which were previously the most challenged sectors. 'Post-COVID, we've seen inflation hit 30-year highs. Those rapid price increases across the economy don't reverse when the inflation rate comes down again,' Mr Coghlan said, adding higher prices were locked in and remained as permanent pressures for businesses. '(Higher prices are) generally passed on to consumers, but this is very difficult for businesses in sectors such as hospitality. 'We won't see conditions improve sustainably for businesses in discretionary sectors until consumers see their wages grow ahead of costs for some time.' CreditorWatch chief economist Ivan Colhoun said the Fair Work Commission's decision to give the country's lowest paid workers a pay bump of 3.5 per cent from $24.10 to $24.94 per hour would benefit consumers, but applied further pressure on businesses — particularly those in the retail and hospitality sectors. 'The good thing is that we will likely see these funds recycled into the economy,' he said. 'Interest rate relief by the RBA, as inflation has moderated, should also improve cash flow a little for both consumers and businesses alike.' Gosnells in Perth's south-east is expected to have the highest rate of business failures in WA over the next year, with 7.2 per cent of businesses in the suburb predicted to close down. It was followed by Rockingham with a default rate of about 7 per cent. WA Insolvency Solutions last week warned the State looked set for a surge in business collapses as the Australian Taxation Office clamps down on ageing debts.
