The Albanese government has agreed to amend its industrial relations bill, which would see companies with more than 15 staff becoming eligible for multi-employer bargaining, allowing unions to represent multiple workforces.
Under the government concession, each individual workforce would have to vote in favour of any action or agreement, not the workers as a block.
“This puts an end to the argument that you’ll end up with workplaces that didn’t want to be part of an agreement but somehow got roped in anyway or didn’t want to be part of industrial action,” Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told Sky News.
The Labor Government’s plans to expand the use of pay deals across multiple workplaces has attracted criticism from business groups and warnings from the Coalition that strikes will increase.
“Whenever you have the ability for more strikes it means not only do businesses have to recalibrate and employ less people but it also costs you more at the checkout,” National’s leader David Littleproud said.
The bill will pass the lower house this week, and government negotiations with independent MPs Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock are expected to decide its fate in the senate.
“My starting point is I want to get wages moving for everybody,” Burke told Sky News.
“We all want to see that but we’ve got to make sure we do this in a responsible way that’s sustainable,” Littleproud replied.
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Independent MP Kate Chaney said she was not sold on the bill.
“I would vote against it at the moment,” she told the ABC’s Insiders program.
“I’m not convinced that it actually will drive an increase in wages across the board because it adds a new layer of complexity into our already complex system.”
However, with the cost of living currently growing much faster than wages, the government is still hopeful the bill will be passed before Christmas.
“The rush is what’s being felt around every kitchen table around the country,” Burke said.
Any delay would also enable business groups to mobilise with an advertising blitz as they sharpen their attacks
David Alexander, from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the bill would harm the economy.
“It will be very bad for the economy. It will push up prices. It will put pressure on interest rates. It’ll cost jobs and it’ll cost productivity.”
