LABOR LAWS AND LEGISLATION – AUSTRALIA

ACTU in big push to fix insecure work

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 21-Mar-18

ACTU secretary Sally McManus will use a National Press Club speech on 21 March to advocate major changes to workplace laws. She will stress the need for reforms that provide Australians with increased job security, particularly for people who work for labour hire companies. Amongst other things, McManus will call for the creation of a national labour hire licensing system, allow casual workers to become permanent employees after six months of continuous service and increase the workplace rights of people who are classified as independent contractors.

CORPORATES
ACTU, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOODORA

Flexible labour laws saved jobs, says RBA

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Sep-16

The Reserve Bank of Australia has released a discussion paper which concludes that labour market reforms such as putting a greater emphasis on enterprise bargaining may have reduced the impact of recent downturns in the economy. The paper’s authors suggest that more flexible workplace laws may have encouraged companies to reduce employees’ working hours in response to weaker economic growth – such as during the global financial crisis – instead of retrenching staff.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Uber cases to test work laws

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 5-Oct-15

Uber claims that its drivers are independent contractors rather than employees, but they have launched a class action in the US seeking to be classified as employees. Clayton Utz lawyer Saul Harben says the outcome of the case could have implication for the definition of an employee under Australia’s workplace laws. He adds that workplace laws should be amended to include a definition of what constitutes an independent contractor.

CORPORATES
UBER TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, CLAYTON UTZ, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN TAXI DRIVERS ASSOCIATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AIRBNB INCORPORATED, LYFT INCORPORATED, TASK RABBIT, MARQUE LAWYERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION