MPs warn bill means ‘more strikes’

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said the passing of the government’s Secure Work, Better Pay Bill would allow “people who are getting wage rises” to go on strike, and would do away with the “great” reforms of former prime minister Paul Keating.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s bill, which would expand access to multi-employer bargaining, has drawn the ire of big businesses and resistance from the Senate crossbench – threatening the government’s plan to get reforms through before Christmas.

The bill, which forms a central tenant to the government’s plan to “get wages moving again” has attracted widespread backlash – prompting Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke to water down the proposed legislation on Sunday ahead of its passing of the house this week.

Amid criticism from employers that multi-employer bargaining deals would trigger strikes, Mr Burke said the government would amend the bill to require a majority vote in individual workplaces before industrial action or multi-employer bargaining agreements can proceed.

Mr Joyce said the idea was “chaos”.

“What we will see as we go from specific sectors to industry-wide, is people who don’t have a problem go on strikes,” he told Channel 7.

“And everybody is lining up saying that it puts aside the great reforms of Keating, and this 249 page bill takes us back to a place of industry-wide strikes.

“We’re going to go to places where you don’t have a problem with their workers, and people are getting wage rises, but are still going on strike. That will, of course … put further pressure on inflation and all the things that affect your cost of living.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, appearing on the panel with Mr Joyce, said the government was confident they were getting the balance right.

“We know the cost of living is really making it hard for families, and one thing that can help is to make sure the lowest paid workers in particular get a pay rise,” she said.

“We want to make sure that those people in the lowest paid sectors in particular, like aged care, childcare, disability services, actually get the pay rises they deserve.”

Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie – who the government has engaged with in hopes of garnering support to get their bill through the upper house – said she was concerned about the plans.

“Most of the bill is really really good, but if he wants to get it through by Christmas, he should split the bill,” she told the Nine Network.

Senator Lambie said she was concerned about the revamped system of multi-employer bargaining, changed roster arrangements, and adjustments to enterprise bargaining.

She has also voiced her concern about unintended consequences for small business, which are still recovering from Covid-19.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said the government was engaged in “respectful” conversations with the crossbench.

“In my experience, when you put a really good case – and we worked through it logically and rationally and dealt with (the crossbenchers’) objections to things, we will come to a settlement on that, and I think we will do that with the IR laws,” he told ABC News.

“But let’s not lose sight of what it is we’re trying to do, and that’s to improve the lives of some of Australia’s lowest paid workers.

“We could do this in a way that is no threat to business.”