Working people have successfully campaigned to stop many of the worst aspects of the Morrison Government’s IR Omnibus Bill, including changes to Greenfields agreements, bargaining and the basic rights of part-time workers.
Of the five elements of the IR Omnibus Bill, only one was passed.
Faced with a lack of support for the Bill, the Morrison Government has focussed on entrenching insecure work and removed the only aspect of the Bill which was agreed to by unions and employers, laws aimed at reducing wage theft.
The Government’s refusal to support mutually agreed action to prevent wage theft while forcing through greater exploitation of casual employees is shameful and reveals the true intentions of the Government.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus,
“The Government has ensured that casual work remains insecure and uncertain, with no viable path to ongoing work and no ability for workers to enforce their rights.
“The decision to remove the elements of this Bill which would have increased penalties for employers committing wage theft and made it easier for workers to claim stolen wages back is a spiteful act by a Government which refuses to act in the interests of working people.
“Working people have worked tirelessly to defeat the worst aspects of this Bill.
“We thank Jacqui Lambie, Rex Patrick, the Greens and the ALP for standing with workers, their integrity stands in stark contrast to the actions of One Nation and Centre Alliance, who have chosen to sell out working people.
“Senator Griff called the actions of the Government shameful mere hours before hypocritically voting for a Bill which will attack the rights of insecure workers.
“The passage of this Bill makes the campaign against insecure work and wage theft even more vital. Theft of wages and exploitation of casual workers is now on the hands of this Government and its allies on the crossbench.”
