On Monday 4 September 2023, the Federal Government tabled in the House of Representatives its latest raft of industrial relations reforms through the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 (Cth).
This Bill is significant, running to 278 pages and covering 28 distinct parts. It proposes reforms that will have a substantial impact on employers, employees, principals, and contractors. This impact will be acutely felt where a diverse mix of contracting and labour strategies are employed to deliver, operate and maintain energy projects, including where workers have not historically been industrially active. It is clear that the Bill, if passed, will result in increased labour and compliance costs for business, increased legal complexity, increased litigation, and increased union intervention in the workplace.
The Bill is a clear indication of the Federal Government's continuing robust agenda for industrial relations reform. The Government has indicated that it expects the Bill to remain before the House of Representatives for a full 4 week period to allow time for debate on the Bill, prior to using its majority in the House of Representatives to elevate the Bill to the Senate.
Our Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety team have distilled the changes into a concise article which you can access by clicking here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
