Business is pleading for urgent amendments to curb unions’ powers to bargain across employers under the Albanese government’s industrial relations overhaul, labelling the proposed laws “a Trojan Horse” for more strikes.
The militant construction union also issued demands of its own in response to the government’s proposal to block law-breaking unions – a reference to the CFMEU – from taking advantage of multi-employer bargaining. “This bill really is, to a large extent, a Trojan horse, a Trojan horse that is delivering a situation where there will be a greater risk of industrial action. It is a Trojan horse and we will stop it coming through the gate,” ACCI chief Andrew McKellar said.
That could lead to the “lowest common denominator” on wages and stifle innovation. The business groups said they supported the proposed changes to the Better Off Overall Test – used to simplify enterprise bargaining – and moves to tackle workplace sexual harassment and close the gender pay gap. The council reached a memorandum of understanding with the ACTU in September that it was open to discussing changes to multi-employer bargaining – on the provision it was “opt in”.Mr Burke invoked the deal as recently as last week to claim there was “clear support at the Jobs and Skills Summit for an expansion of multi-employer bargaining, including from key business groups”.
The areas were ensuring that businesses could continue to negotiate single-enterprise agreements; ensuring voting on multi-employer agreements occurred at the firm level; preventing employers from putting agreements to a vote without unions’ OK; and a reasonable period of good-faith bargaining before arbitration.
Business too late on this. Incredibly naive approach to the sham summit, and now small business will pay the price