There is good news for Australian workers with Federal Parliament voting to close the labour hire loophole, make wage theft a crime and make workplaces safer.

The Parliament voted to:

– Stop companies underpaying workers through the use of labour hire
– Criminalise intentional wage theft,
– Introduce a new criminal offence of industrial manslaughter,
– Better support first responders with PTSD,
– Better protect workers subjected to family and domestic violence from discrimination at work,
– Expand the functions of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to include silica,
– and close the loophole in which large businesses claim small business exemptions during insolvency to avoid redundancy payments.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to proceeding with every remaining clause of the Bill – including minimum standards for digital platform gig workers, road transport industry reforms and a better deal for casual workers who want to become permanent – as a priority early next year. 

Peter Dutton and the LNP voted against this legislation every step of the way as they still want to keep wages low and hold workers back.

Under the Albanese Labor Government unemployment is at historic lows, wages are moving again after a decade of stagnation, industrial action has fallen, and the gender pay gap is at the lowest level on record.

Labor believes that the new legislation is the next step in giving workers a better deal.