Fair Pay Agreements Bill

The Fair Pay Agreements Bill was introduced earlier this year; it proposes a framework for collective bargaining of fair pay agreements. The Select Committee is working its way through submissions and will report back to the House in early October.

The government believes the current situation of an employer and employee being free to negotiate the terms of employment without being subject to fair pay obligations (provided employment law minimum entitlements are met) marginalises some employees.

The draft legislation would introduce a regime where an agreement is established across an entire industry or occupation for mandatory minimum employment terms (such as wages or hours of work).

It is fair to say, no pun intended, that the proposed legislation has not been met with open arms by employers. Unions, however, have greeted the provisions in this Bill much more positively. We will let you know the status of this legislation in the next edition of Fineprint.

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