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This is an important extract from the above program dealing with what the legislation does.
John Buchanan (industrial relations expert at the University of Sydney economics and business faculty) has this to say, after looking closely at the 700-page legislation:
John Buchanan (industrial relations expert at the University of Sydney economics and business faculty) has this to say, after looking closely at the 700-page legislation:
What are the biggest changes that are facing Australian workers?
JOHN BUCHANAN: There are four things going on here.
The first is shrinking the reach of labour law. Currently workers have awards that cover 20 allowable matters there will be only be five issues that are protected in the legislation covered and if you're a casual there will only be three. So the five is not for all it is only for permanent employees.
The second is there’s a move to unify the system through a hostile federal takeover. This will still leave around 2 million workers beyond the reach of the federal system, so it is not going to be totally successful.
Thirdly, there is a big shift in bargaining power so that employers will have far more bargaining power. Unions are going to have significant barriers put in place to taking strikes. It will take at least four to six weeks to get an effective strike up. Under individual lockouts for people in dispute over their AWAs, employers can stand workers down or lock them out on three days notice, no questions asked. Some AWA lockouts have lasted as long as three months.
And the final and the most ironic one is there's a huge centralisation of power in the Minister for Industrial Relations. When you read the bill in all its 700 pages of glory, a lot of issues ultimately turn on what the minister wants to do by direct legislative power or through delegated legislation.