'The system is overdue for reform,' says the state government
The Western Australian parliament has recently introduced a bill that aims to “strengthen protections” for vulnerable workers and modernise the state’s industrial relations system.
The Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 seeks to amend several state acts, including the Industrial Relations Act 1979, the Courts and Tribunals (Electronic Processes Facilitation) Act 2013, the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 and the Work and Safety Act 2020, among others.
One of the bill’s main aims is to remove exclusions from state industrial laws that currently offer no employment protection to some employees in WA.
During the bill’s second reading before parliament in November, the Minister for Industrial Relations Stephen Dawson said that state industrial laws exclude various employees, including those engaged in a private home’s domestic service.
“It is an unacceptable situation in the twenty-first century. The commonwealth government has identified these antiquated exclusions as a barrier to Australia ratifying the International Labour Organization’s Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930. This important protocol aims to support the global fight against forced labour, people trafficking and modern slavery,” Dawson said.
The bill will also broaden the WA Industrial Relations Commission’s jurisdiction to address contemporary workplace issues, including bullying and sexual harassment,...
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