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Contentious industrial relations laws pass Australian parliament

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Labor government is making the most extensive changes to workplace relations laws in nearly two decades.

Australia’s Employment Minister Tony Burke struck a deal on the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill with independent ACT senator David Pocock, who holds the balance of power in the upper house.

It came after a late-night meeting in which Senator Pocock secured series of concessions in exchange for his support.

Labor will adopt the recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into the Bill including changing the definition of a small business that can be excluded from multi-employer bargaining.

The definition now identifies a small business from one that employs 15 people to one that employs 20.

It will also be easier for a business with 50 employees or fewer to opt out of multi-employer bargaining.

Such businesses will be given a stronger ability to argue to the Fair Work Commission that they should be excluded.

The expansion of multiemployer bargaining makes it easier for workers at different companies within one industry to band together to call for better pay and conditions.

This is the most contentious element of the legislation.

Under the “single interest” stream, workers will be able to negotiate a single enterprise agreement to cover different workplaces, as long as a majority of employees at each company involved agree to do so.

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