Bulletin 10 - negotiations update - issued 11 May 2026

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment has submitted a section 240 application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to seek assistance to resolve the impasse in negotiations for a new Enterprise Agreement.

What is a section 240 application?

Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) any party involved in enterprise agreement negotiations may apply to the FWC for assistance in dealing with disputes about the agreement where they cannot be resolved independently.

The FWC then deals with dispute through mediation, conciliation and/or providing a recommended outcome. However, the FWC cannot impose an outcome without consent from all the parties involved.

The process encourages good faith bargaining and assists in dealing with unresolved disputes about the enterprise agreement, facilitating fair and effective bargaining negotiations.

Next steps

Whilst I must await further direction from the Fair Work Commissioner regarding what updates I may be able to provide to you relating to these proceedings, I can assure you that my office and I are fully committed to engaging and participating in this process to reach a good outcome.

My priority is to encourage a timely outcome and resolution to settle this enterprise agreement.

More information

Bargaining updates in relation to the bargaining process will be posted to the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment website.

For more information on bargaining in general, call 1300 799 675 or visit the Fair Work Commission website.

Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
11 May 2026