Anthony Albanese defends industrial relations Bill after Labor agrees to concessions

Anthony Albanese has defended Labor’s industrial relations reforms amid a fight over multi-employer bargaining.

Anthony Albanese has defended Labor’s industrial relations reforms a day after they were watered down following a backlash from employers.

The Prime Minister said his Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation was “worthy of support” by the parliament because it would help Labor achieve its “mandate” of lifting wages.

Mr Albanese made the remarks in question time in the House of Representatives on Monday after independent MP Allegra Spender questioned him on the industrial relations Bill.

Ms Spender asked whether addressing current award contracts could result in faster wage increases, “rather than through complex IR legislation not taken to the election, delaying wage rises in protective negotiations”.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said the bill would mean industry-wide strikes and worsening inflation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Albanese claimed he had taken the legislation to the election by suggesting it was part of his promise to lift wages if he became prime minister.

“I think it is though not credible to say that we did not take our policy to lift wages to the election,” he said.

Mr Albanese accused his predecessor Scott Morrison and his Coalition government of “deliberately” acting to devalue “feminised industries” including aged care and early learning workers.

The government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill is expected to be introduced to parliament on Tuesday with a vote in the lower house expected by Thursday.

It contains Labor’s first tranche of workplace relations changes including abolishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission, mandating more flexible work arrangements.

The most contentious part of the wide-ranging Bill is the expansion of multi-employer bargaining, which allows enterprise agreements to apply to more than one business and their relevant employees.

Workplace Relations and Employment Minister Tony Burke announced on Sunday he had agreed to further amendments to the legislation in a bid to get it through the parliament by Christmas.

Amid ongoing talks with business groups, Mr Burke said Labor would rejig the Bill to require a majority vote in each workplace before industrial action or multi-employer bargaining agreements could proceed.

Labor has agreed to several other amendments.

The Coalition has warned the legislation would result in more strikes and put further pressure on inflation.

Senator Jacqui Lambie wants the government to split the bill. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said the laws would allow “people who are getting wage rises” to go on strike and do away with the “great” reforms of former prime minister Paul Keating.

Mr Joyce said the concessions on multi-employer bargaining amounted to “chaos”.

“What we will see as we go from specific sectors to industry-wide, is people who don’t have a problem go on strikes,” he told Sunrise on Monday.

“We’re going to go to places where you don’t have a problem with their workers, and people are getting wage rises, but are still going on strike.

“That will, of course … put further pressure on inflation and all the things that affect your cost of living.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who appeared on the same program alongside Mr Joyce, said the government was confident it was getting the balance right.

“We know the cost of living is really making it hard for families, and one thing that can help is to make sure the lowest paid workers in particular get a pay rise,” she said.

“We want to make sure that those people in the lowest paid sectors in particular, like aged care, childcare and disability services, actually get the pay rises they deserve.”

Labor has been met with resistance from the Senate crossbenchers it needs to win over in order to pass its Bill through the upper house.

Concessions made by the Workplace Relations Minister on the weekend would require a majority vote in individual workplaces before industrial action or multi-employer bargaining agreements can proceed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Independent senator David Pocock has indicated he supports industrial relations reforms.

But he has warned Labor’s Bill is too “rushed” to be scrutinised and has called for it to be divided before it reaches the Senate.

“This is not about delaying; it’s about having the time needed to do the job I’ve been elected to do properly,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday.

“By splitting the bill, we can pass the parts of it that are straightforward and supported across the board and take the proper time to understand and refine parts that aren’t.”

Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie has also raised concerns.

“Most of the Bill is really, really good, but if (the employment minister) wants to get it through by Christmas, he should split the Bill,” she told the Nine Network.

Senator Lambie said she was concerned about the revamped framework for multi-employer bargaining, other adjustments to enterprise bargaining and changes to rostering arrangements.

She has warned the laws could have unintended consequences for small businesses which are still recovering from Covid-19.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said the government was engaged in “respectful” conversations with the crossbench.

“In my experience, when you put a really good case – and we worked through it logically and rationally and dealt with (the crossbenchers’) objections to things, we will come to a settlement on that, and I think we will do that with the IR laws,” he told ABC News.

“But let’s not lose sight of what it is we’re trying to do, and that’s to improve the lives of some of Australia’s lowest paid workers.

“We could do this in a way that is no threat to business.”