WORKPLACE LOOPHOLES TO BE CLOSED
Casual workers will have a clearer pathway to permanent work, while gig workers and truckies will finally benefit from minimum standards under new Albanese Labor Government laws.
A majority of senators have now declared support for the Government’s Closing Loopholes 2 legislation.
The new laws will:
End the concept of a forced permanent casual by providing a proper pathway for casuals seeking to convert to more secure permanent work and simplify the process for employers.
Introduce world-leading minimum standards for gig economy workers such as rideshare drivers and delivery riders.
Ensure a safe, sustainable and viable trucking industry – including for owner drivers.
Last year we changed the law to criminalise wage theft and stop the underpayment of workers through the use of labour hire. Now we’re poised to close more of the workplace loopholes that have been undermining wages and worker safety.
Under the Albanese Labor Government there are more people in jobs, they’re earning more – and under our tax cut plan they’ll keep more of what they earn.
We know many Australians are doing it tough right now dealing with the cost of living.
Providing tax relief and getting wages moving again is key to dealing with that.
Wages are now moving again after a wasted decade.
We’ve now had two consecutive quarters of real wage growth, and the latest data shows wages growing at 4% – the highest they’ve been in 15 years.
Under the previous government keeping wages low was a deliberate design feature – and they were successful, with wages growth averaging 2.1%.
Not content with keeping wages low for a decade in Government, Peter Dutton and the Coalition are still at it.
Every step of the way Mr Dutton and the Liberals have voted against measures to get wages moving, including the Closing Loopholes legislation.
Peter Dutton wants Australians to get paid less.
We’re taking the opposite approach. Wages growth is a deliberate design feature of this Government.
It’s why we also twice backed a pay rise for workers on the minimum wage, backed and funded a 15 per cent pay rise for aged care workers and passed Secure Jobs Better Pay laws to introduce a better bargaining system.
The Government thanks the Senate crossbenchers for their constructive engagement.
Following consultation with the crossbench, the Government has agreed to a range of changes, like:
Stopping unpaid overtime for workers through a right to disconnect from unreasonable contact out of hours.
Changes to the casual provisions to streamline and simplify the process for employers, including a single pathway for casual conversion.
Requiring the establishment of a majority owner drivers sub-committee to advice the Fair Work Commission on road transport minimum standards.
ENDS