Justice Iain Ross

An increase in the number of unfair dismissal cases and the addition of JobKeeper disputes has seen the general caseload of the Fair Work Commission jump by 30 per cent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, FWC President Justice Iain Ross AO told Lawyerly.

An appeals court has handed a win to the Fair Work Ombudsman in its battle for a multimillion dollar penalty against the CFMEU for coordinated strikes at two Hutchison Ports shipping terminals, finding a judge’s fine of just $38,000 did not cut it.