The Government have already agreed to remove the need to compare new agreements with the award to ensure employees are not disadvantaged (the so-called BOOT test) but other changes still threaten workers.

If passed, the legislation will increase the possibility of workers being placed in insecure work as they may be classified as casuals when they really work part time. Of course, if you are ‘casual’ an employer can chose not to offer you shifts. The casualisation of the workforce (particularly in Aged Care) created considerable issues during COVID where employers attempted to restrict the right of workers to work in more than one workplace. However, workers were in the situation of needing to have more than one job because the employer would not allocate sufficient permanent hours to enable them to care for their families and pay their bills.

• More information can be found here.
• If you are concerned about the changes, please spare 1 minute to contact your crossbench senator, to let them know the risks here.
• Read the ANMF’s submission to the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Job and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 here
• Sign the ‘You can’t heal the economy by hurting workers’ petition here

Updates correct as at 18 February 2021.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary