Impact of the Industrial Relations Reform
Summary
? Remove protection from unfair dismissal for millions of workers.
? Make it easier for employers to push workers onto individual contracts that undercut take home pay and employment conditions.
? Strip back award conditions.
? Make it easier for employers to cut penalty rates, overtime pay, holiday loadings, public holidays, redundancy pay and work allowances.
? Make many ordinary union activities illegal.
? Reduce the power of the Industrial Relations Commission.
? Change the way minimum wages are set to make them lower.
1. Unfair dismissal
? Workers employed by businesses with fewer than 100 staff lose the right to unfair dismissal protection. This means employees are no longer allowed to seek reinstatement or compensation if they are sacked because of harsh, unreasonable or unjust treatment.
? People employed by companies with more than 100 staff keep right to claim unfair dismissal, but workers in large companies are not safe either. Employees will not be regarded as unfairly dismissed if employers state their sacking was for "operational reasons."
? All employees keep right to claim unlawful dismissal, if they are sacked on the basis of discriminatory grounds such as race, religion, gender, pregnancy and union or political affiliation. However, these claims have to be fought in court with costs for the employee nearing $30,000.
2. New workplace agreements:
Under the new laws any new workplace agreement will only have to include five basic conditions:
? a minimum wage ? currently $12.75 per hour (less for workers under 21)
? annual leave of 4 weeks per year ? 2 weeks of wh ...