Workplace Relations

Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023

ACCI wholeheartedly supports measures which increase women’s workforce participation. Boosting the participation of women throughout the economy is vital to the continued growth and health of our nation’s economy. When more women are empowered to be able to return to the workforce, all businesses benefit. Recent economic challenges, such as labour and skills shortages, have reinforced the importance of better promoting such labour force participation. With such a tight labour market prevailing in the current economic conditions, Australian businesses and communities cannot afford to have more employees leave the workforce.

Fair Work Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as the nation’s largest and most representative business network, advocates for safe and productive workplaces that generate strong wage growth. This is critical for the furtherance of Australia’s national prosperity and economic future. The changes proposed in the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 are fundamentally incompatible with these objectives. They will move us in the wrong direction.

Draft Statement of Principles

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Fair Work Commission (Commission) on the [DRAFT] Fair Work (Statement of Principles on Genuine Agreement) Instrument 2023 (Statement of Principles).

A case for an extended unpaid carer leave entitlement?

ACCI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the ‘A case for an extended unpaid carer leave entitlement?’ position paper (Position Paper) released by the Productivity Commission (Commission) following its inquiry into the potential impact of amending the National Employment Standards (NES) to provide for a minimum statutory entitlement to extended unpaid carer leave.

President’s Statement on Expert Panels

ACCI thanks the President for the opportunity to provide feedback in relation to his Honour’s provisional views about which matters currently before the Fair Work Commission (Commission) should be transferred to the new Expert Panels to be established following the passage of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (Cth) (SJBP Act).

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 | Senate Education and Employment Committee

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 (the Bill) makes significant changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act) on areas as diverse as gender and pay equity, job security and collective bargaining. It also abolishes the building and construction workplace regulator the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) and the Registered Organisations Commission (ROC), which regulates registered employer and employee representative organisations.

Carer Leave Inquiry | Productivity Commission | ACCI Submission

ACCI welcomes the opportunity provided by the Productivity Commission (‘PC’) to respond to the Carer Leave Issues Paper.

Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill 2021 [Provisions]

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to provide input on the Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill 2021 (the Bill).

Privacy Act Review Discussion Paper | Attorney-General’s Department

ACCI considers that while the Discussion Paper presents some constructive areas of reform to privacy law at the Commonwealth level, any consideration of removing or weakening the small business exemption and employee records exemption would be unwarranted, damaging and inadvisable.

Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and related bills | Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to make this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee (the Committee) on the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 (the Bill). Any references to the Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021 and Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 will be separately identified.

Victorian Secure Work Pilot | ACCI Submission

As Australia’s largest and most representative business organisation, ACCI and its members do not support embarking on the pilot scheme as outlined in the Consultation Paper, nor any ongoing approach that would increase the costs of employing in the state of Victoria by way of a levy on employers, on jobs and on recovery.

Coal Industry Long Service Leave Review

ACCI lodged the below submission on Monday 12 July 2021 to the review of the Coal Industry portable long service leave scheme (Coal LSL), addressing various of the terms of reference announced by the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney in June 2021. The review raises considerations relevant not only to black coal businesses but also potentially other businesses that may periodically undertake work on black coal mine sites such as equipment servicing, construction and maintenance.

2020-21 Annual Wage Review

The 2020-21 Annual Wage Review is not the first review after a crisis, but the second review during a period of continuing challenge and uncertainty, taking place as immediate crisis and concerns
about mass pandemic have given way to longer term challenges and endemic risk. This Review should not be seen as a return to normalcy, as the risks of proceeding on that basis would be
substantial.

Submission to the COVID-19 Business Liaison Unit (CBLU), at Treasury

JobKeeper has been instrumental in keeping businesses going and retaining the connection of employees to the employers, notwithstanding the issues of interpretation and application borne out of the speed with which it was developed and implemented. It has been the central pillar that has kept not only many eligible businesses afloat, but also has ensured there is money in the economy to help all businesses.

Religious Freedoms Bills – Second Exposure Drafts

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to provide a further submission in response to the Attorney-General’s Department public consultation on the second exposure drafts of the proposed religious freedoms legislation.

Improving Protections of Employees’ Wages and Entitlements: Discussion Paper Response

Religious Freedoms Reforms Submission to the Attorney General Departments