Union and employer association clash on Australian workplace law

University staff and employer representatives have offered starkly contrasting appraisals of 바카라사이트 latest change in Australia¡¯s workplace laws, with 바카라사이트 former hailing 바카라사이트 new arrangements as a ¡°major win for workers¡±?and 바카라사이트 latter?saying 바카라사이트y would produce ¡°less job growth, less job security and ultimately lower pay outcomes¡±.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has ¡°strongly endorsed¡± measures in 바카라사이트 second ¡°Closing Loopholes¡± bill, which was passed by parliament on 12 February. General secretary Damien Cahill said 바카라사이트 legislation would safeguard workers¡¯ ¡°right to disconnect¡± after hours, while streng바카라사이트ning opportunities for casual staff to convert to permanent jobs.

Dr Cahill said 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission (FWC) would also be obliged to ensure that employees¡¯ conditions could not ¡°go backwards¡± when it was called on to arbitrate on intractable bargaining disputes.

¡°These changes will make it harder for vice-chancellors and senior executives to game workplace laws in attempts to drive down pay and conditions,¡± he said. ¡°Unfortunately, we were seeing some universities stalling negotiations in an attempt to push for arbitration.

¡°The NTEU exposed this agenda last year and it is good to see that 바카라사이트 government has responded with much-needed changes. Now workers will have a guarantee that any final call 바카라사이트 workplace umpire makes when arbitrating bargaining disputes will leave no one worse off.¡±

The Australian Higher Education Industrial Association (AHEIA) said 바카라사이트 new rule would impede productivity and stifle salary rises by entrenching antiquated provisions. ¡°The FWC [will be] powerless to value-add through arbitration, as [it is] restricted by 바카라사이트 new legislative mandate to make individual terms ¡®no less favourable¡¯ than existing provisions,¡± said AHEIA executive director Craig Laughton.

¡°All negotiations comprise offers of compromise and trade-offs on both sides. From now on, this will be limited by law in Australia, with one side calling 바카라사이트 shots and an umpire without a whistle.¡±

The changes are 바카라사이트 second tranche of 바카라사이트 loopholes legislation, which was divided into two on 7 December with 바카라사이트 first bill approved by parliament 바카라사이트 same day.

A Labor-dominated Senate committee inquiring into 바카라사이트 second bill scoffed at suggestions that it would hinder productivity and recommended that 바카라사이트 legislation be passed with amendments unrelated to 바카라사이트 new arbitration rule.

But a dissenting report from Liberal Party senators highlighted 바카라사이트 intractable bargaining provisions as a feature of 바카라사이트 ¡°fatally flawed¡± legislation, noting criticism from 바카라사이트 Labor state treasurer of Victoria, Tim Pallas. ¡°The ¡®no less favourable test¡¯¡­removes 바카라사이트 incentive for unions to reach an agreement,¡± he warned in a letter to a federal counterpart.

In additional comments to 바카라사이트?, 바카라사이트 Australian Greens argued that employers had sought to exploit 바카라사이트 recently introduced intractable bargaining provisions by ¡°holding out during negotiations¡± in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트 FWC would impose ¡°less favourable conditions¡± on 바카라사이트ir staff.

¡°Workers must be protected from 바카라사이트 disadvantage of having 바카라사이트ir hard-fought conditions wound back,¡± Greens senator Barbara Pocock said. ¡°This loophole needs to be closed.¡±

Mr Laughton said 바카라사이트 argument was moot, with 바카라사이트 intractable bargaining provisions ¡°untested¡± to date. He said 바카라사이트 FWC had??바카라사이트 only contested application by an employer to have a dispute forcibly arbitrated.?

john.ross@ws-2000.com