Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke argues that workers need protections such as a “same job,same pay” regime to ensure fairness.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The promise takes on business fears that the impact could cascade throughout the economy by capturing companies that use outsourcing or smaller firms that rely on labour hire when they do not use the enterprise agreements in place at bigger companies.
“There will always be a place for labour hire when it comes to surge work,short-term arrangements and specialist staff. This legislation does nothing to change that,” Burke said ahead of the introduction of his draft workplace bill this week.
“These changes will affect a small number of workers. But for the workers this affects,closing this loophole will be life-changing.”
Tania Constable,head of the Minerals Council of Australia,which is funding a campaign against the new bill.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The government is relying on estimates from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations that the change will affect only about 67,000 workers,meaning the change would have a “negligible” economic impact.
But the Minerals Council of Australia,one of the peak groups funding an advertising campaign against the changes,expects the impact to be much broader over time.
“The scope of the ‘same job,same pay’ legislation is extraordinarily broad and the potential damage to the economy[is] devastating,” council chief executive Tania Constable said.