Unions ‘hesitant’ to use Freshways pay deal law

Trade unions have only taken seven cases to the Labour Court under a 2015 law that allows the court to impose binding pay agreements on non-union employers.

The 2015 Workplace Relations Act, which was introduced by Labour senator Ged Nash, contains a provision that allowed unions to represent workers at the Labour Court even if their employers don’t recognise unions.

In one of its first decisions, in relation to sandwich maker Freshways Food, ...