O75 Public Administration

Crossbench on front foot over IR

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government will not proceed with legislation to allow coronavirus-hit employers to temporarily bypass the Fair Work Act’s ‘better off overall test’. The ACTU and Senate crossbenchers have welcomed the decision, but contend that further changes to the industrial relations omnibus bill are needed. Shadow industrial relations minister Tony Burke says the government had only backed down because it would not get the proposed reform through the Senate. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the remaining changes in the omnibus bill will ‘reinvigorate’ the enterprise bargaining system.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence declines 1.5pts to 109.9 during Victoria’s 5 day lockdown and border closures

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Feb-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.5pts to 109.9 on February 13/14. Consumer Confidence is now 0.5 points below the 2021 weekly average of 110.4, yet remains 0.8pts higher than the same week a year ago (109.1). Now 25% (down 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 14% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 19% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 20% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 42% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 25% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Victoria set to snap out of lockdown

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Original article by Tom Minear, James Campbell
Herald Sun – Page: 9 : 17-Feb-21

The number of COVID-19 cases linked to Melbourne’s Holiday Inn cluster has risen to 19, after Victoria recorded two new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Both are close contacts of a person who attended a family function in Coburg. However, the Victorian government is expected to end the state’s five-day snap lockdown as scheduled at 11.59pm on 17 February, unless there is a spike in positive cases. Some restrictions are likely to remain in place, including a requirement to wear a face mask indoors. Crowds are also set to return to the Australian Open, although a new cap is likely to apply.

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS

Senior academics warn against IR bill

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 9-Feb-21

Professor Andrew Stewart from the University of Adelaide is among 23 labour law experts who have criticised key elements of the federal government’s omnibus industrial relations bill. Professor Stewart says a particular concern is the proposal to exempt some enterprise agreements from the ‘better-off-overall test’ for two years. The senior academics have also questioned the proposed definition of a casual worker. Professor Stewart stresses that the academics support some parts of the bill, such as increased penalties for wage theft.

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UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Job seekers gaming system: employer

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Feb-21

Khan’s Supermarkets CEO Rashid Khan claims some people who are applying for jobs with his New South Wales company are only doing so to fulfil Centrelink obligations. Like other employers, he would like to see foreign workers be able to roll over their visas, while he claims he had to sell his supermarket in Nowra because he could not find a manager for it, despite being willing to pay $100,000 for one. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says more job seekers need to be willing to move to areas where there are labour shortages; just 197 people took up JobSeeker assistance to relocate for work in 2020; the lowest figure in six years.

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KHAN’S SUPERMARKETS

Victoria to test hotel quarantine staff daily after worker’s mystery Covid case

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Original article by Elias Visontay
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 9-Feb-21

The Victorian government has introduced changes to its quarantine hotel system after a second worker contracted the virus in less than a week. Amongst other things, quarantine hotel staff will be tested for the coronavirus every day, even if they have not worked a shift, while all staff will be issued with personal protective equipment. The changes were implemented after a Grand Hyatt employee contracted the UK variant and a woman tested positive for COVID-19 after completing a shift at the Holiday Inn on 7 February. Health authorities hope that genomic sequencing will help to determine how the woman contracted the virus.

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Roy Morgan Business Confidence down 2.7pts to 120.5 in January – Majority of businesses expect good times for the next 12 months

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Feb-21

In January 2021, Roy Morgan Business Confidence was down 2.7pts (-2.2%) to 120.5 – the first decline in the index since August 2020, after four straight months of gains. Despite the fall Business Confidence is now 7.1pts above the long-term average of 113.4, and 18.9pts higher than it was a year ago (101.6). A clear majority of 61.7% of businesses expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, and 52.9% of businesses said the next 12 months is a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’. On a State-based level Business Confidence is higher in all States than a year ago and significantly higher in NSW, Victoria, WA and SA – up by at least 15% in all four States compared to January 2020. Business Confidence is now highest in Western Australia at 140.6 in January and has increased by 27.6pts (+24.5%) from a year ago. Victoria is also in a far better position than a year ago according to the State’s businesses, with Business Confidence up 25.1pts (+25.5%) to 123.7. In 2021 Business Confidence in both New South Wales, up 18.8pts (+18.7%) to 118.9 and South Australia, up 26.7pts (+29%) to 118.7 is starting the year in a much stronger position than 2020.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Work Aussies won’t do: market mismatches

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Feb-21

The federal government has convened an inquiry into Australia’s skilled migrant program, to be headed by the Liberal Party’s Julian Leeser. One aspect of the program it will look at is whether any adjustments are needed in the light of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of work. The inquiry comes as employers say they are struggling to find Australians who are willing to do certain jobs; it has been suggested that visas for overseas workers should be rolled over so that they do not have to return to their own country when their visa expires. Welfare programs such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker are also seen as a constraint on employment by some employers.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Fair Work president resists Porter IR plan

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 8-Feb-21

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has rejected criticism of the federal government’s proposal for the Fair Work Commission to approve enterprise agreements within 21 days. FWC president Iain Ross has argued that this requirement is unnecessary and could result in unintended consequences, such as giving approval to workplace agreements that are subsequently found to contain technical or substantive defects. Justice Ross also warns that more applications for enterprise agreements may be withdrawn or rejected under the proposed reforms. The Senate will begin an inquiry into the omnibus industrial relations bill on 8 February.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Unemployment down to 11.7% in January – lowest since March 2020, but under-employment increases again

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Feb-21

The latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows that 1.68 million Australians (11.7% of the workforce) were unemployed in January 2021 (down 44,000 on December). In addition, 1.44 million Australians (10.0% of the workforce) were under-employed – working part-time but looking for more work. This was an increase of 81,000 on a month ago and an increase of 154,000 over the last two months. Meanwhile, some 12,675,000 Australians were employed in January (up 26,000 from December). The rise in employment was driven by an increase in full-time employment, up 46,000 to 8,197,000; part-time employment was down 20,000 to 4,478,000. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 11.7% for January is over 5% points higher than the current ABS estimate for December 2020 of 6.6%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS