15 Mar 2021 | Media Release
Australia’s leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for all Senators to support it. There is no valid reason why the Bill should be delayed. The certainty that these reforms will deliver is needed urgently to boost confidence, investment and job creation to complete the recovery and help put the economy on track to generate higher incomes and sustained growth in the future.
A failure to vote on the Bill will increase uncertainty and stifle business confidence at the worst possible time – just before the JobKeeper scheme ends and as businesses are making critically
important decisions on whether to retain staff.
Australia is only part way through an uncertain recovery from the most severe peace-time shock since the Great Depression. With JobKeeper coming to an end, the jobs market remains very tough:
Australia has a very open economy and we are not immune from the severe economic effects that the pandemic is still having on the global economy.
The Bill contains a series of modest, practical and fair amendments to the Fair Work Act that will boost jobs, investment and confidence.
The legislation is the outcome of an extensive Government consultation process over the past nine months involving working parties of industry and union representatives. Employers have not got all they would want. There are components of the Bill addressing issues raised by Unions that we would under normal circumstances strongly oppose. This is not an Employers’ Bill but a sensible compromise that employers and their workforces can work with.
The legislation has been passed by the House of Representatives and has been scrutinised by a Senate Committee which has recommended that the Bill be passed.
Australia’s leading industry groups call on all Senators to put the national interest first and support the Bill.
This statement is released by:
Media contacts:
Marie Hogg, ACCI: 0431 299 518
Tony Melville, Ai Group: 0419 190 347
Business Council media team: (02) 8224 9214
Tom Reid, AMMA: 0419 153 407
Ben Carter, MBA: 0447 775 507
Megan Anderson, ACA: 0475 978 478
Malcolm Cole, NRA: 0408 612 603.
8/04/2021
Skills and labour shortages across Australia are severely impacting business recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In its submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration...
8/04/2021
Employers, like the rest of the community, want sexual harassment in the workplace to be a thing of the past. There is no place in...
22/03/2021
The passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 today is a responsible outcome, ensuring casual employment remains a viable option for business,...
18/03/2021
Australia’s leading business groups welcome the passage through the Senate of amendments to the Fair...
18/03/2021
The economic recovery continues to gather momentum, with today’s ABS Labour Force numbers showing a huge leap in full time employment. "With restrictions easing for many...
18/03/2021
Small businesses across Australia will be dismayed by the deal announced today by one small business organisation with the ACTU on casual employment provisions in...
17/03/2021
As the Senate debates the Omnibus Industrial Relations Bill in the next 24 hours, its decisions will have real impacts, positive or negative. Failing to...
16/03/2021
The manufacturing sector is leading Australia's economic recovery, with the nation's peak industry survey showing the sector expanding at a strong pace in early 2021. The Australian...
15/03/2021
The appointment of Mathias Cormann as the next Secretary-General of the OECD is welcomed by ACCI, Australia’s unique member of Business @ OECD (BIAC). "The...
15/03/2021
ACCI has today released an important report to show how part time additional hours agreements will help to address underemployment among part-time employees and reduce...
11/03/2021
The post-JobKeeper support package announced today will help to salvage 13 key tourism regions but falls short of what is needed to save many flailing...
9/03/2021
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements 50 per cent wage subsidy extension to September 2021 announced today is a recognition of its outstanding success in reversing the...
3/03/2021
The latest GDP quarterly growth figures demonstrate the positive impact of rolling back restrictions, however some sectors still affected by government-imposed restrictions remain weak and will...
1/03/2021
An ACTU and COSBOA flexible part-time employment proposal for the General Retail Award is poorly drafted, will add more red tape and risks exposing business...
10/02/2021
Labor's IR plan would cut job opportunities Labor’s industrial relations plan fails to recognise how jobs are created and what Australia needs to retain jobs and...
5/02/2021
The foremost network of business groups from the Asia Pacific has commissioned renowned macroeconomist Dr Andrew Stoeckel to author a study on resurrecting the world trading system. The...
1/02/2021
ACCI calls on unions to withdraw their latest advertising campaign opposing industrial relations reform, and to rethink their messages trivialising road safety, violence and genuine tragedies...
29/01/2021
The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has submitted a proposal to the Federal Government this week for a new financial support mechanism for businesses...
21/01/2021
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest employment figures indicate that Australia is on track for economic recovery, with total employment now just 93,000 jobs shy of...
13/01/2021
International Chamber of Commerce Australia is pleased to announce its thirteen nominees to the international body which arbitrates foreign commercial trade disputes. Joining the nine continuing Australian members...