NEW industrial relations laws have Member for Mallee Anne Webster concerned that they will drive more people out of work, particularly in regional Victoria.
The new legislation introduces powers for the Fair Work Commission to set minimum standards for gig economy workers who will be considered “employee-like” if they meet certain criteria.
It will also introduce a pathway for casual employees wanting to convert to more permanent work, protections for road transport workers, and preventing employees from being penalsed for not answering calls or emails outside of work hours.
Dr Webster believes the “heavy-handed”, “shambolic” Bill will hit the farming, transport, hospitality and construction industries across the Mallee.
“The Albanese Labor Government doesn’t care about the job creators of this country, they only care about strategic politics for city votes and not about creating jobs,” Dr Webster said.
“Higher costs of doing business damages Australia’s productivity and pushes unemployment even higher, spelling disaster for families of these people who won’t be able to put food on the table or clothes on their children’s backs.
“Labor is disgracefully out of touch with small business and the reality in the workplace, especially in regional Australia,” Dr Webster said.
A spokesperson for Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke believes Dr Webster is hyperbolic in her comments.
“Dr Webster told Parliament our industrial relations changes would reduce the Australian economy to ashes. Now we have more doomsaying,” the spokesperson said.
“Instead, what we’ve seen is sustained record low unemployment, real wages growth after a decade of stagnation under the Coalition, and inflation coming down.
“She was wrong then, and she’s wrong now.”
