The Albanese Government will today table its foreshadowed amendments to the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill, as it seeks to provide "more comfort" to key Independent Senator David Pocock on proposed multi-employer bargaining reforms.
The ACTU has told a Senate inquiry into the Albanese Government's Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill that it will make it even harder for workers to take protected action, while the BCA says multi-employer bargaining should be restricted to low-paid sectors.
Despite Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke's reluctance to hold back parts of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill and its many "positive reforms", a leading labour law and IR academic says drafting issues and crossbench concerns will make fast passage a challenge.
The "lawlessness test" that is likely to prevent unions such as the CFMMEU from engaging in multi-employer bargaining could be made more specific after discussions with employers and unions, according to Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke.
The Albanese Government's IR legislation provides "big improvements" in the bargaining framework for low-paid workers, but the benefits of the multi-employer provisions might be more limited, according to a leading workplace law expert.
The Albanese Government has confirmed its Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill to be into introduced into Parliament next Thursday will include measures to close the gender pay gap, but IR academic Shae McCrystal says any legislation must also provide a right to strike or compulsory arbitration for workers engaging in multi-employer bargaining.
The Productivity Commission has warned against "shoehorning" gig economy platform work into other employment categories, arguing it could jeopardise their benefits for consumers and workers.
The Albanese Government's multi-employer bargaining regime will focus on low-paid workers and will not permit sector-wide or industry-wide strikes, according to documents tabled in the Senate.
Teleworking, retraining and enhanced collective bargaining could lift pay growth that has been constrained by Australia's relatively "monopsonistic" labour market that gives a few dominant employers the upper hand in wage-setting, according to the OECD.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations this week began consulting on Labor's plans to change the Fair Work Act, including the contested proposals for multi-employer bargaining and the BOOT, while further details have emerged about the process for drafting the post-summit white paper.
