Draft Report of the Review of the Closing Loopholes Acts

Submission by the Australian Council of Trade Unions on the Draft Report of the Independent Statutory review into the operation of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 and the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No.2) Act 2024

The ACTU welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Draft Report of the independent statutory review into the operation of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 (Cth) (Closing Loopholes Act) and the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 (Cth) (Closing Loopholes No. 2 Act).

We also welcome and support the Review’s overall view in the Draft Report that the Closing Loopholes laws and the paid family and domestic violence amendments (which were also the subject of review) “have enhanced the workplace relations framework” – with key examples including the new rights for employee-like workers engaged by digital platforms and the provisions relating to “same job, same pay” for labour hire workers. The reforms in those two areas arose from long-standing union campaigns to enhance rights for gig and labour hire workers.

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