Federal Member for Chifley Roger Price announced the introduction of the Fair Work Bill into the Parliament. Labelled “Forward with Fairness” the Rudd government’s new workplace relations system will put an end to Work Choices, the Howard Government’s extreme workplace relations laws.
“The Fair Work Bill delivers on the Rudd Government’s election promise to replace the Workplace Relations Act, including the former Liberal government’s extreme and complex Work Choices amendments” Mr. Price said.
The Bill delivers on the Government’s commitment to establish a new independent industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia, for advice and support on all workplace relations issues and enforcement of legal entitlements.
In contrast to the former Government, the Rudd Government has engaged in an unprecedented level of consultation in drafting this legislation which encompasses the Government’s belief that economic prosperity and a decent standard of living can go hand in hand.
“Our laws are about bargaining in good faith at the enterprise level, underpinned by a fair and decent safety net of employment conditions” Mr. Price said.
Key elements of the bill delivered by the Rudd Labor Government include a safety net of minimum employment conditions, protections from unfair dismissal for all employees, protection for the low-paid, the right to be represented in the workplace, and a system that has at its heart bargaining in good faith at the enterprise level.
“In these troubled economic times, all Australians will benefit from certainty and from fair workplace relations laws”, Mr. Price concluded.