Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move Greens amendment (4) on sheet 5451:

(4)

Schedule 2, item 9, page 91 (after line 6), after paragraph 576B(2)(a), insert:

(aa)

the need to ensure all employees are covered by modern awards, except those employees who, because of the seniority of their role, have traditionally not been covered by an award;

Although I am moving this separately to the pay equity amendment, we were specifically aiming this as another means of addressing the issues around pay equity.

Question negatived.

I move Greens amendment (3) on sheet 5451:

(3)

Schedule 2, item 9, page 90 (line 26), at the end of subsection 576A(2), add:       ; and (g)         must be regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant to the rapidly changing structures of work and the labour market.

This is about the regular review of awards. We very strongly believe that awards must be living documents that can adapt to changes in community standards. Awards have been the main vehicle for establishing community standards in workplace conditions such as annual leave, carers leave, parental leave, restrictions on working hours et cetera. We have not reached an end point in the evolution of workplace standards. I do not believe we can imagine that we ever actually will. They will continue to be living documents. Workplaces and labour markets will continue to change and we must have a process for award safety nets to respond. This is another issue that was brought up at the committee inquiry hearings. There was a good deal of comment around this. I would like to ask: is the government considering a regular review of awards and how will the government ensure that their award system remains relevant to changing conditions?