Huge day for working people Labor’s landmark industrial relations changes will become law
Labor’s landmark industrial relations changes will create a “pathway” to get wages moving again once it becomes law, the federal government says, having secured support for the bill.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Senator David Pocock for the support he pledged after lengthy negotiations.
The move will ensure there is an annual review of JobSeeker and boost safeguards for small and medium businesses.
“We went through an election saying that we wanted to get wages moving again,” Albanese said.
“We said that the low wages that we’ve seen over the previous decade wasn’t a result of bad luck.
“That was bad policy.
“The former government said that low wage growth was a design feature of their economic architecture.
“And they certainly delivered that low wages for year after year after year.”
Albanese described the issue as a “sensitive proposition”, saying his party had consulted with business, unions members of the parliamentary crossbench and civil society.
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Tony Burke said the bill would ensure there was “a pathway to secure jobs” to “get wages moving”.
“We will be taking action to close the gender pay gap,” he said.
“We have legislation where every section of the bill is still there.
“There are amendments which improve it in various ways.
“But the bottom line is there will be a pathway now for wages to get moving again in Australia. It’ll be a deliberate design feature of how we manage things.”
Included in the raft of changes is a review of current wage awards, better protections and faster payment for sub-contractors and more compensation for firefighters exposed to cancerous chemicals.
“Each and every budget that Labor hands down will always give consideration for those people that are doing it tough. And for those that are marginalised,” Albanese said.
Deputy Opposition Leader Michaelia Cash said the laws were “literally the most radical changes that the country has ever seen”.
The sticking point was multi-employer bargaining, allowing unions representing workers from similar companies to negotiate as one.
Businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be exempt as will civil construction companies, with greater protections negotiated for business with fewer than 50 employees.
“It’s the right mix of getting wages moving and addressing some of the real concerns of small businesses who don’t have the resources or the HR department,” Senator Pocock said.
Parliament is set to sit until the bills are through, but that is now only a matter of time.
Albanese also congratulated both Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and the Socceroos for their wins overnight.
He said the Victorian premier deserved “a great big pat on the back”.
