BUSINESS AND POLITICS – AUSTRALIA

Labor delivers concessions on gig economy employment reforms

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Original article by
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 9-Nov-23

On-demand platforms have welcomed the federal government’s decision to make changes to the gig economy provisions of its Closing Loopholes Bill; however, they believe that the concessions do not go far enough. Amongst other things, the amendments will limit the introduction of traditional employment conditions for gig economy workers, such as penalty rates. The Fair Work Commission will be able to impose penalty rates if they are deemed to be appropriate for the type of work, although on-demand platforms had wanted weekend and evening penalty rates to be specifically excluded from the legislation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Business blues over IR shake-up bill

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 2 : 8-Nov-23

The federal government continues to attract scrutiny over its compromise agreement with the Australian Hotels Association regarding the casual employment provisions of the Closing Loopholes Bill. The deal has been criticised by Restaurant & Catering Australia, the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia. They have released legal advice from Corrs Chambers Westgarth which suggests that, despite the amendments, employers that breach the new definition of a casual could still incur existing penalties.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

BHP warns against Same Job, Same Pay

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Original article by Cameron England
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 2-Nov-23

BHP CEO Mike Henry has reiterated that the ‘same job, same pay’ provisions of the Closing Loopholes Bill could potentially force the resources group to discontinue its FutureFit training academies. Henry says 1,500 people have been inducted into the academies, which provide them with the skills that are needed to work in the mining industry. Henry also contends that the labour hire reforms would increase costs more broadly and make Australia less attractive as an investment destination. Henry says the proposed reforms are the most significant and far-reaching changes to Australia’s industrial relations laws since the WorkChoices regime.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Delivery prices could soar under gig laws: DoorDash

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 18-Oct-23

Uber Eats recently estimated that the gig economy reforms in the federal government’s Closing Loopholes Bill could increase the cost of using food delivery services by up to 85 per cent. However, rival food delivery platform DoorDash has told a Senate inquiry into the legislation that prices could potentially rise by more than 260 per cent. The legislation would give the Fair Work Commission powers to set minimum pay and conditions for gig workers, but DoorDash has argued that these powers should be limited to setting minimum pay, insurance, portable leave and payment times. Nick McIntosh from the Transport Workers’ Union says there is broad support for the reforms among gig economy workers and companies.

CORPORATES
DOORDASH, UBER EATS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Business blasts flawed IR bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 27-Sep-23

The federal government has estimated that the proposed labour hire and gig economy changes in its Closing Loopholes bill would cost employers up to $9bn in extra wages over the next decade. However, the Business Council of Australia contends that this estimate is based on outdated, limited and flawed data; the employers’ group notes that the explanatory memorandum accompanying the bill acknowledges this fact. BCA CEO Bran Black says the flaws call into question the government’s estimates of the impact of the proposed changes on individual businesses.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Developers scoff at 1.2m homes target

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 13-Sep-23

Housing Minister Julie Collins has told a property summit that the federal government’s target of building 1.2 million new homes in five years is "ambitious but achievable". However, Western Australian property developer Nigel Satterley says that at best about 600,000 to 650,000 dwellings are likely to be completed within this time-frame, citing a labour supply shortage. Melbourne-based developer Tim Gurner agrees that the target will be difficult to achieve, noting that high costs and poor planning laws are also a challenge for the sector.

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Burke to get extraordinary IR powers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Sep-23

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar says the Closing Loopholes Bill contains at least 32 clauses that will allow Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke to give himself new regulatory powers. He says this is an "extraordinary" number, and argues that it will heighten uncertainty about the real cost of the proposed industrial relations reforms to business. Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn in turn says the ministerial powers will create greater uncertainty for independent contractors and businesses when entering commercial arrangements. Amongst other things, Burke will have broad powers to issue regulation that change the definitions for labour hire rules and gig economy workers’ pay.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY,MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED,AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

We could lose the race on critical minerals

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Original article by Jennifer Hewett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 6-Sep-23

Lynas Rare Earths has received a $US258m ($404m) grant from the Biden administration to build a heavy rare earths refinery in Texas. It will be the first facility of its kind outside of China, and will process material from Lynas’s Mt Weld mine in Western Australia. However, although the federal government has allocated some funding to Australia’s burgeoning critical minerals industry, its strategy for the sector seems to be based primarily on local companies gaining access to funding from the US. Tesla chair Robyn Denholm has used a Minerals Week speech in Canberra to call for greater action to capitalise on Australia’s competitive advantage in the criticals minerals sector.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC,TESLA INCORPORATED

BHP says IR changes to cost more than $1.3b estimate

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 6-Sep-23

BHP estimated in May that the ‘same job, same pay’ policy for labour hire workers would cost the resources group about $1.3bn a year. However, BHP believes that the actual cost may be much higher, given that the explanatory memorandum attached to the Closing Loopholes Bill could potentially capture mining service providers such as Thiess and Downer EDI. BHP did not take such providers into account when it released the initial estimate. BHP says it supports the intention of the bill with regard to low-paid and vulnerable workers, but argues that it is not appropriate for the mining sector; BHP notes that the average wage for employees in its Operations Services division is nearly $150,000 a year.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP,THIESS PTY LTD,DOWNER EDI LIMITED – ASX DOW

Qatar turbulence worsens as PM washes his hands of flights decision

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Robyn Ironside, Glen Norris
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 30-Aug-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the decision to reject Qatar Airlines’ application for additional flights into Australia was made solely by Transport Minister Catherine King, and that he had no role in it. However, Albanese contends that the former Coalition government had made similar decisions. It has also been revealed that King did not consult with her colleagues prior to rejecting Qatar Airways’ request. King has stated that the decision was made in the national interest, while Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones recently said Labor did not want to drive airfares down to a level where it is unsustainable for the existing Australia-based carrier. ANZ Bank CEO Shane Elliott says he is "disturbed" by reports that Qatar had been rebuffed in order to protect the profits of Qantas.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, QATAR AIRWAYS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ