Tool Box
Issue No. 37 - October/November 2007
What to expect from Labor‘s IR policy
by Mr Shayne Bakewell
Federal Opposition leader, Kevin Rudd has detailed of Labor’s IR policy, called ‘Forward with Fairness’.
There are many new elements to the policy, and it provides a contrast to the present Work Choices framework. Here’s a look at the key elements of that policy.
Minimum Terms and Conditions of Employment
All constitutional corporations will be subject to a set of minimum employment conditions, to be known as the 10 National Employment Standards. These are:
•Hours of work
•Parental leave
•Flexible work for parents
•Annual leave
•Personal, carers and compassionate leave
•Public holidays
•Community service leave
•Information in the workplace
•Notice of termination and redundancy
•Long service leave
Awards
A simplified and rationalised Award system will underpin most employees’ terms and conditions. The key features of the proposed system are:
•All awards to contain a flexibility clause that allows an employer and an employee to make individual arrangements within the award if the employee is not disadvantaged. Matters that can be agreed include:
•rostering and hours of work;
•all up rates of pay;
•certain conditions not to apply when an employee is paid more than the award rate, and
•arrangements to start and finish work early to collect children from school without the employer having to pay penalty rates.
•All Awards to provide a family-friendly flexibility clause.
•Awards will cover only 10 matters. These will include:
•Minimum wage
•The type of work (full-time, part-time, casual etc)
•Overtime
•Penalty rates
•Allowances
•Hours of work, rostering, breaks etc
•Leave, leave loadings and arrangements for taking leave
•Superannuation
•Dispute settlement and consultation obligations
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