Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to indicate Labor’s position in respect of these provisions. Labor have previously moved amendments which protect redundancy entitlements for all employees who make workplace agreements by including them in the list of protected award conditions. As we have previously outlined, the policy we are taking to the federal election will provide a statutory right of redundancy entitlements to all employees save for those employed in businesses with fewer than 15 employees.

As I understand Senator Siewert’s amendment, there are in essence two propositions. The first extends the period of operation of preserved redundancy entitlement when an agreement is terminated or transmitted from 12 months to the end of the employee’s employment with their employer. I have dealt with that by indicating Labor’s policy position. The Greens have also proposed an amendment to insert a statutory redundancy entitlement in accordance with the AIRC test case. Whilst this is largely in accordance with Labor’s outlined policy position, it does not provide an exemption from redundancy payments for small business, which our policy contains. On that basis, Labor will not support this amendment. We have made our position on redundancy clear in our Forward with Fairness document, which provides both flexibility and fairness.