Cabinet is understood to have received favourably Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews' broad outline of his IR agenda, and he will now begin work on a detailed policy package, specialist IR news service
Workplace Express reports.
Quoting a spokesperson for the Minister, it says that, at the latest, Andrews will provide more detail in a speech to CEDA in Melbourne on Friday morning.
As previously reported by
QBR, the spokesperson confirms the Minister plans to put through most of his proposed IR changes in an omnibus Bill, but with the independent contractors legislation and the construction industry Bill to go before Parliament separately.
Workplace Express reports the government wants the broader IR laws in place by July 2006 at the latest, and hopes to introduce the legislation in August this year.
The government has previously stated its goals are to reduce allowable award matters, use the "corporations power" to bring state workers under federal laws, and reduce the role for the Industrial Relations Commission.
However, as a pointer to the fight it has on its hands, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission today ruled that it could hear an industrial dispute involving a worker employed under a federal AWA at Newcrest Mining's Cadia Hill gold mine.
The controversial decision was in response to an application by Newcrest to have the CFMEU application dismissed on the basis that the state Commission could not hear an application involving an employee covered by a federal industrial instrument.
In a decision that some see as a warning shot at the federal government, Justices Michael Walton, Roger Boland and Conrad Staff went further, saying the "corporations power" couldn't be used to "extinguish" the power of a state IRC from making common-rule awards or exercising its conciliation and arbitration powers to resolve an industrial dispute, just because the mineworker was engaged under an AWA.
To read more on this decision, see Queensland Business's weekly digital Zinimag, featuring all the latest business and company news across the state – as well as exclusive listings of company insolvencies and new business registrations. Call 1800 649 578 or email subs@pubserv.com.au to secure your copy.