THE SQUIZ
The federal industrial relations bill – aka the ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill’ – is set to pass parliament this week after the government secured crossbench support on the weekend. To recap: the bill is about new workplace laws allowing for multi-employer bargaining, aimed mainly at increasing wages… That means employees from different workplaces in the same industry can negotiate together to reach multi-enterprise agreements and secure better pay. It’s a centrepiece of PM Anthony Albanese’s Labor Government and something he’s been pushing to get finalised by the end of the parliamentary year, which will be extended to Saturday to ensure the bill passes in time. Albanese says the deal is a ‘‘huge day for working people’’.

HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
Independent Senator David Pocock spent hours with Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke on Saturday night hashing out the details. Three key changes have been made. First, the government will create an independent body to review social support payments like Jobseeker before each federal budget. Small businesses with under 20 staff will be excluded from the most controversial aspect – single-interest multi-enterprise bargaining. And companies with fewer than 50 staff will have safeguards to opt out of multi-employer bargaining. The changes are designed to protect small businesses from being forced into unsuitable agreements. Pocock says the updated bill will ensure the most vulnerable “are no longer left behind”. The Greens will also support the bill after agreeing a deal with Burke to safeguard the better-off-overall test, aka the BOOT, to protect workers, and an enforceable right for parents to request unpaid parental leave. 

IS EVERYONE HAPPY NOW THEN?
Not quite… The Coalition and some business groups don’t believe the laws will lift stagnant wages and will instead cause headaches for businesses already dealing with “deteriorating conditions”. Some major employer groups also expressed concerns the changes will create lengthy, complex negotiations and increase the likelihood of industrial action. Shadow Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says it will have a “detrimental impact” on the economy as it takes away the rights of employers and employees to negotiate between themselves. But Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus welcomed the bill, saying it will particularly help women in sectors like aged care by improving their pay and conditions, and reduce the number of “insecure jobs that we have in this country”.