World news – The Center Alliance supports the safety of employees and small businesses

The Center Alliance has announced to the government that it will only endorse elements of the 2020 Fair Work Amendment Act (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) that improve security against wage theft (Appendix 5) and safety for casual workers and their employers provide (Appendix 1) 7).

We need to address wage theft as a priority to protect workers from unscrupulous employers trying to rip them down.

We are also very much aware that small businesses have massive potential repayment liability due to uncertainty about the definition of casuals, creating very real viability concerns.

« This issue needs to be addressed urgently as it is with businesses that employ casual workers, especially small businesses , causing significant confusion and stress, « says Senator Griff.

During the bill retrospectively applies the meaning of a casual employee, the Center Alliance will propose an amendment to ensure that any casual employee currently entitled to unpaid claims in the courts can still close their case under applicable law.

The Centers Alliance will also seek to make it easier for employees who wish to contest an occasional switch refusal by an employer. We agreed to changes to apply the Small Claims Courts procedure of the law to disputes over the right to occasional conversion, which would allow the courts to hear those disputes and, if necessary, refer them to the Fair Labor Commission for arbitration. This will provide a mechanism by which casual workers – who have filed their request to switch from casual work to permanent setback – can initiate a legal challenge (including the SA Labor Court) and require employers to participate.

« This is one complex and controversial bill, and we recognize that attempting detailed changes to the remaining parts of the bill carries the risk of unintended consequences for workers and employers, « says Senator Griff.