Thousands of labour hire employees are set for a pay rise after new workplace laws come into effect.
The federal government’s “same job, same pay” laws kick in from today, and mean labour hire workers are paid the same as employees hired directly by the company.
The first pay agreements to be approved by the Fair Work Commission under the changes will include wage rises for more than 2000 cabin crew on airlines, about 200 meat workers and more than 350 miners.
Workplace Minister Murray Watt said the industrial relations change would help to get wages moving.
“There is a legitimate place for labour hire, especially to address surge or seasonal workforce needs, but the labour hire loophole has been used for far too long to undermine agreed wages and our reform will put an end to this for good,” he said.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“These workers are doing the same work, wearing the same uniforms and turning up to the same shifts week after week, yet are paid significantly less than other staff they work alongside.”
A further 40 pay agreements are already in the pipeline for the Fair Work Commission to approve.
Among the agreements to come into effect, labour hire workers employed by Qantas will have pay rises of up to 28 per cent.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the workplace laws would help to end long-standing practices by large companies.
“Pay rises for working people are the reason why some companies abused labour hire as a way of cutting wages,” she said.
The coalition has promised it would review Labor’s industrial relations changes, should they win government at the next election, which is due to be held by May.
AAP
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