Tony Burke says changes to the Fair Work Act should not be permanent

Labor has signalled it won’t support extending temporary changes to the Fair Work Act that make it easier for employers to alter an employee’s hours or duties.

Tony Burke questioned whether the government wanted to make changes to the Fair Work Act permanent. Picture: AAP

Labor has signalled that it will not support any moves by the Morrison government to extend temporary changes to the Fair Work Act that make it easier for employers to alter an employee’s hours or duties, laying the ground for a possible showdown in the Senate.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke said federal parliament passed the Fair Work Act amendments only on the basis they would be temporary and tied to the $70bn JobKeeper program.

The changes mean employees receiving the $1500 fortnightly JobKeeper payments can be directed to work less, take leave and change their duties, location of work and days of work.

Scott Morrison and employer groups on Friday said if “industrial relations flexibility” was withdrawn after September, when JobKeeper and the Fair Work Act changes are due to end, jobs would be at risk.

Mr Burke questioned whether the government wanted to make the changes permanent, allowing employers to “slash hours and stand down workers”, while ditching support payments to which it was tied.

“Workers agreed to a reduction in hours in return for JobKeeper being established. Scott Morrison now seems to think he can take from workers without having to pay the bill,” he said.

“Why is it that when it comes to supporting workers, the government believes the coronavirus pandemic ends in September, but when it comes to cutting services and workers’ rights, it seems to last much longer?

“Labor will not let the government use the crisis as an excuse to introduce permanent changes that leave workers worse off.”

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter dismissed Mr Burke’s “scaremongering”, saying the government would not seek to make variations to the Fair Work Act permanent.

“The variations have been crucial to facilitating JobKeeper by providing support to businesses and workers dramatically affected by the COVID-19 crisis, including allowing businesses to operate more flexibly and ensuring employees receive JobKeeper via their employer,” Mr Porter said.

The Prime Minister said there would be “a next phase” of JobKeeper. The government has not decided which sectors will be eligible after September.

“We gave ourselves six months, not three months with this program, which means when we make the next decision about the next phase, and there will be a next phase of this, that we get it right,” Mr Morrison told 2GB radio.

“Rushed decisions are never smart in an environment when you’re spending that amount of money and you want to make sure it’s targeted to the people who get it who need it most.”

Government sources said state premiers, including leaders of Labor governments, were “happy” for the flexibility arrangements to continue while the economy rebuilds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The business sector pointed out many industries would continue to be distressed beyond September, making the Fair Work Act changes crucial in order to help them survive.