Labor vows to oppose Coalition’s industrial ­relations agenda

Labor says it will oppose the Coalition’s entire industrial ­relations bill, ensuring workplace relations becomes a policy battleground.

Attorney-General Christian Porter. Picture: Gary Ramage

Federal Labor says it will oppose the Coalition’s entire industrial ­relations bill, ensuring workplace relations becomes a policy battleground this year and requiring the government to rely on Senate crossbench support to get the changes legislated.

Attorney-General Christian Porter claimed the ALP had its “head stuck in an ideological rear-vision mirror”, while two ­employer groups accused Labor of making “false claims” during its question time attack on the proposed workplace changes.

Ahead of Senate inquiry hearings into the bill next week, ACTU president Michele O’Neil said ­unions wanted significant amendments, claiming the government had made a “big mistake” thinking it could win voter support for a bill that would make jobs more ­insecure during a period of record-low wages growth.

In a new briefing paper to be ­released on Wednesday, the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work says the changes will accelerate the making of non-union ­enterprise agreements, further suppressing wages growth.

It says the government’s proposal to give COVID-19 stressed employers more power to bypass the Fair Work Act’s “better off overall” test will “open the floodgates” for employers to rush the approval of non-union enterprise agreements that undercut award wages.

“The bill will increase the number of lower wage, non-union agreements in proportion to ­higher-wage union-negotiated agreements, undermine the ­capacity of EAs to boost wages, and exact a powerful downward pressure on Australia’s already weak wage trajectory,” it says.

Labor industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke said there was “no way” the opposition would vote for a bill that cut pay.

Labor deputy leader Richard Marles said retailers had cited the government’s workplace changes when making a proposal he claimed would lead to workers earning more than $57,000 losing penalty rates and overtime.

But National Retail Association chief executive Dominique Lamb accused Labor of making false claims.