A fair work amendment Bill that was tabled in parliament on September 4 has now been sent to a Senate committee for further scrutiny, with a report due on February 1, 2024.
The Closing Loopholes Bill is expected to criminalise wage theft, introduce minimum standards for workers in the gig economy, close the forced permanent casual worker loophole, and close the labour-hire loophole.
The Coalition, with support from crossbenchers, passed the motion yesterday, with the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) saying this will give employer groups an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed changes.
“The ARA has been advocating for deeper and better consultation around these changes which as drafted create more questions than answers,” ARA CEO Paul Zahra said. “It is great to see democracy come to fruition with the crossbench working collaboratively to ensure full scrutiny of the proposed legislation.”
Zahra said extreme care needs to be made with any policy changes that could potentially drive price increases or result in added complexity for businesses.
“The decision to delay this Bill until next year comes as a saving grace for retailers, who are already saddled with the execution of numerous workplace reforms in a complex economic landscape.
“They are now better placed to focus on the all-important Christmas trading period as they navigate a consumer spending slowdown and a simultaneous squeeze on the cost-of-doing-business crisis.”
The Closing the Loopholes Bill marks the third round of reforms in less than 12 months.
The ARA noted it looks forward to engaging in further consultation with the Federal Government ahead of the Bill being revisited next year.