Bold plan to overhaul workplaces and fix Australia’s post-COVID-19 economy

In what could be the biggest changes for workers in 37 years, ScoMo will bring businesses and unions together to redesign industrial relations laws, fixing enterprise bargaining and simplifying awards. Details>>

SCOTT Morrison has unveiled a bold plan to overhaul Australia’s workplace relations laws in just four months, in a bid to create jobs and revive the economy.

In what could be the biggest changes for workers in 37 years, the Prime Minister will bring the union movement and business groups into the tent to redesign industrial relations laws by September.

Tasmania’s business community has welcomed the redesign as a “long overdue” opportunity.

It will be part of the ‘JobMaker’ agenda to help Australia recover from the biggest economic crisis of our time.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the National Press Club in Canberra, Tuesday, May 26, 2019. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

The top priorities will be fixing enterprise bargaining and simplifying awards, which set out workers conditions and minimum pay.

It will also look at the definition of casual work, after a Federal Court ruling last week found long-term employees should get leave entitlements.

“Compliance and enforcement” of workplace relations laws also will be reviewed.

Union leaders and business groups will take part in the urgent redesign in five working groups chaired by Attorney-General Christian Porter.

It could lead to the biggest reforms since the 1983 Accord between Bob Hawke’s Labor government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions to restrict wage demands and keep a lid on inflation.

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey welcomed the reform push, saying: “This is long overdue”.

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey said the reforms for workers are “long overdue”. Photo: LUKE BOWDEN

“As a business community we’ve been saying for years how complex the system is.”

He hoped unions and business groups could come to an agreement on how to fix the system which had been “broken” since the Howard Government tried to pass Work Choices.

Mr Morrison said the reforms had one goal – to make jobs.

With unemployment expected to hit 10 per cent, the system was “not fit-for-purpose” to get millions of Australians back into work, he said.

Mr Morrison praised business groups and unions for their “constructive approach” during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We now need to turn that into co-operation to create even more jobs, especially during this all important recovery phase,” he said.

In an olive branch to unions yesterday, he dumped the union-busting “ensuring integrity” laws. “I think everybody’s got to put their weapons down on this,” Mr Morrison said.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said she would “make sure the voice of working people continues to be at the table”, as it had been through the crisis.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott welcomed it as a “sensible and practical plan to finally break the deadlock on workplace relations reform”.

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Meanwhile, the State Government welcomed Mr Morrison saying he was willing to commit more federal funding to vocational education and training if states backed his plan to overhaul the “fundamentally flawed” system.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said Tasmania had been working constructively with other states on reforms for the past 12 months.

Mr Morrison noted on Tuesday that VET funding had fallen by 25 per cent on average over the past decade across all jurisdictions apart from Tasmania.

Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie said cautiously welcomed the push to overhaul funding for training and Mr Morrison’s willingness to commit more money.

But she said: “There’s a hell of a long way to go to get back to where we need to be.”