Earn
Diluted IR bill passes Senate in government backdown
The federal government has backed down on key elements of its industrial relations bill to ensure its passage through the Senate.
Diluted IR bill passes Senate in government backdown
The federal government has backed down on key elements of its industrial relations bill to ensure its passage through the Senate.
The IR Omnibus Bill was introduced to Parliament in December last year and introduced provisions regarding casual work, wage theft, award simplification, enterprise bargaining and greenfields agreements.
The final bill passed the Senate by 35 votes to 33; however, following votes on a range of amendments introduced by the Labor opposition and the crossbench, only the provisions around casual work passed the Senate in the end.
Under the reforms, employers will work with a new definition of casual employment and will have less liability for misclassifying casual workers. On the other hand, casual employees will have more rights to ask for permanent work from their employers.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison pinned the blame on Labor for the changes to the bill.
“The Labor Party opposed all of those measures, all those measures, including those they now pretend to support. You can’t have an each-way bet on this,” Mr Morrison said.
Earlier, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia also reached an agreement that would allow casual workers to continue making backpay claims for permanent entitlements.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Jenny Lambert opposed the amendments proposed by the ACTU and COSBOA, calling it a “one-sided proposal”.
“The deal would continue to expose small-business owners to double-dipping claims by casuals of up to $39 billion and fails to deliver small businesses the certainty they need,” Ms Lambert said.
“The proposed amendments reflect a naivety as to the implications on business.”
The ACTU/COSBOA proposal eventually fell through, but not without a rift forming between members of key crossbench party the Centre Alliance.
The Centre Alliance’s lone lower house member, Rebekha Sharkie, said in a statement that the party agreed to support both stronger laws against wage theft and the casual changes as a package, subject to amendments crafted by the ACTU and COSBOA.
That put Ms Sharkie at odds with her party colleague senator Stirling Griff, who voted with the government and One Nation in rejecting the proposal.
“I cannot support a package that doesn’t include wage theft provisions for workers,” Ms Sharkie said.
“Where this landed is totally unacceptable. The government’s decision not to support an agreement by COSBOA and the unions was completely wrong, so I categorically will not be supporting an amended bill in my chamber.”
Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said working people have worked tirelessly to defeat the worst aspects of the bill.
“The decision to remove the elements of this bill, which would have increased penalties for employers committing wage theft and made it easier for workers to claim stolen wages back, is a spiteful act by a government which refuses to act in the interests of working people,” Ms McManus said.
To view all the details in the final IR Omnibus Bill that passed the Senate, click here.
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now
What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now
Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now
Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
