Fair Work Act review report much ado about nothing

The Minister for Workplace Relations the Hon Bill Shorten MP today finally released the long awaited review of the Fair Work Act 2009 by an expert panel consisting of Professor Emeritus Ron McCallum AO, the Hon Michael Moore and Dr John Edwards.

The Panel in a pandering letter to the Minister dated 15 June 2012 state:

“In our view, the current laws are working well and the system of enterprise bargaining underpinned by the national employment standards and modern awards is delivering fairness to employers and employees.”

Restaurant & Catering Australia, Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Hart said despite evidence of record insolvencies and business related bankruptcies it is incredulous that Panel contend the current laws are working well.

The Panel have failed to understand the impact of bad labour laws on small and medium sized businesses, Mr Hart said.

Mr Hart commented further that it is also surprising that for legislation that is supposedly working well requires some 53 recommendations for improvements.

Restaurant & Catering Australia, Workplace Relations Director, Mr Greg Parkes said the report is disappointing considering an opportunity existed for this review to provide a transparent analysis of the problems identified by employers. Instead the report appears to try and appease the political paymasters, Mr Parkes said.

Ironically, the recommendations for improvements in individual flexibility arrangements will only further add red tape to businesses by compelling them to send information on each and every agreement to the Regulator. This is the very type of red tape the Panel should be reducing not increasing additional layers of process for small and medium sized businesses.

Source: Restaurant & Catering,  2 August 2012