Australian state seeks to enshrine work from home in law
Under Jacinta Allan's plan, workers would be entitled to work from home at least two days per week, if the job allows.
"We're doing that because we know what the evidence tells us - workers are more productive, it saves time for families, it saves money for families," Allan said, launching the proposed policy at the Labor Party's state conference.
"This change will mean that any worker who can reasonably do their job from home has the right to do so for at least two days a week."
Allan said the policy would now go out for consultation with workers, employers and unions.
She said it was important to "get the details of this important change right".
Allan said the move could save the average worker US$110 a week, cut congestion on roads, and keep more women in the workforce.
During national elections in May, the opposition Liberal-National coalition's plan to eliminate remote work was partly blamed for its poor performance.
Victoria's opposition leader, Brad Battin, said work from home arrangements had been valuable, and that he supported measures that promote better work-life balance.
The measure is likely to come before the state parliament next year. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
38 minutes ago
- The Star
Australia's internet network signs Amazon satellite service
SYDNEY (Reuters) -The Australian government-owned internet network hired Amazon's untested startup satellite service to provide connectivity to people who cannot access its terrestrial network rather than Elon Musk's Starlink. From next year, low-Earth orbit satellites owned by Amazon's Project Kuiper will start replacing two Australian government-owned satellites due for decommissioning in 2032, NBN Co and Amazon said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The deal, for which financial terms were not disclosed, is designed to give high-speed internet to some 300,000 homes and businesses that NBN's terrestrial network does not reach. The thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites are connected to each other through optical links and communicate with antennas and other connection points on the ground. The deal represents a missed opportunity for Starlink, by far the world's biggest provider of such network services and which already has more than 250,000 customers in Australia, according to industry data. Australia's two biggest telecoms providers sell Starlink residential connection dishes and some government entities, including the Australian Electoral Commission, also have contracts with the company. Starlink, a unit of Musk's SpaceX rocket company, now has 8,000 fast-orbiting satellites since it began launching them in 2019, while Amazon's service has just 78 since its first launch in April. NBN and Amazon said Project Kuiper would ultimately have more than 3,200. NBN said the decision followed a rigorous procurement process, but did not say why it had chosen the Amazon service. Starlink was not immediately available for comment. "It is true that Amazon Kuiper has not launched services yet in Australia or globally, but they are reportedly pumping in about $15 billion into that programme," said Gavin Williams, chief development officer for regional and remote services at NBN. "We have every confidence that we've got a partner in Kuiper that will do what they say they're going to do," he added in an interview. Asked if Musk's ownership of Starlink played a part in the decision, Williams said only that NBN supplied critical infrastructure with regulatory and legal obligations and "technical, operational, and commercial imperatives that fall into that consideration were contemplated and ventilated through the procurement process." (Reporting by Byron Kaye and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
The Star
38 minutes ago
- The Star
Boeing aircraft deal driven by demand, strategic interest, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been engaging with China and Brazil over aircraft procurement, even as the country proceeds with plans to acquire Boeing planes, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He explained that Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, had made the procurement decision after a period of financial recovery. "The aircraft needed to be purchased. Since 2004, this is the first time Malaysia Airlines has recorded a profit after years of losses – a turnaround made possible through transparent and efficient management, free of political interference,' he said in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 5). He noted that large-body aircraft orders were also placed with Airbus last year, and Malaysia had ongoing negotiations with aircraft manufacturers in Brazil and China. However, planes from China are intended solely for domestic use in China, while Brazil has yet to deliver despite an earlier order. ALSO READ: Boeing purchase is part of long-term fleet renewal, says Zafrul Anwar stressed that Malaysia's agreements with Boeing come with specific requirements. 'Our condition with Boeing is that part of the aircraft production must be done locally. In fact, both Boeing and Airbus already have significant manufacturing operations here. For instance, Airbus wings are produced in Negri Sembilan, Kulim and Selangor. The same goes for Boeing components," he said in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 5). He added that demand is rising rapidly for routes to India, China and Japan, requiring MAS to ramp up its fleet capacity. 'If we support the private sector like AirAsia, why can't we do the same for Malaysia Airline?' he added. Anwar dismissed criticism that the government is favouring Boeing or the United States. 'I wouldn't agree to any deal unless it is competitively priced. We also buy from Airbus. In fact, I raised this directly with President Macron — both Malaysia Airline and AirAsia will be acquiring larger aircraft. 'This is about striking a balance. During my visit with the Sarawak Premier to meet Indonesia's Prabowo, we discussed new export routes via Sarawak. These are practical steps,' he added. Earlier, Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz stated that MAG's aircraft purchase is valued at US$19bill and aims to replace aging B737-800 planes that have been in operation for an average of 14 years. By adopting such an approach, Malaysia proved to the US that 'we, too, are significant buyers of their products, which convinced them to reduce the tariffs to 19% from the previous 25%,' he said. In March, MAG announced it had ordered 18 Boeing 737-8 and 12 Boeing 737-10 aircraft, to be delivered by 2030, and placed an option to buy 30 more 737 aircraft. Orders for hundreds of Boeing jets have been announced over the past week in deals with Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and other countries as part of negotiations to reduce US tariffs. Tengku Zafrul denied that government funds were being used to purchase the planes. He stated that MAG would buy the planes using its own funds.
The Star
38 minutes ago
- The Star
US explores better location trackers for AI chips, official says
Last week, Nvidia said it does not have backdoors in its chips. — AFP The US is exploring ways to equip chips with better location-tracking capabilities, a senior official said, underscoring Washington's effort to curtail the flow of semiconductors made by the likes of Nvidia Corp to China. Washington has espoused working with the industry to monitor the movements of the sensitive components, part of a broader plan to curtail smuggling and ensure American technology remains dominant. Last week, Beijing summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss US efforts around location-tracking and other alleged security risks related to its H20 chips. "There is discussion about potentially the types of software or physical changes you could make to the chips themselves to do better location-tracking,' said Michael Kratsios, one of the architects of a US AI action plan unveiled by Donald Trump last month. "That is something we explicitly included in the plan,' the White House Office of Science and Technology Director told Bloomberg Television. Trump's blueprint has provoked a backlash in Beijing, which for years railed against alleged US surveillance and Washington's efforts to curtail its tech sector. The Chinese government is particularly sensitive to semiconductor sanctions designed to counter Huawei Technologies Co or rising AI developers such as DeepSeek. Trump officials recently pledged to lift export restrictions on the H20 to China as part of a trade deal they say will secure sales of rare-earth magnets to the US. But Washington is also focused on curtailing the smuggling of chips. Kratsios said Tuesday he's not had conversations "personally' with either Nvidia or Advanced Micro Devices Inc about exploring location-tracking technology. Last week, Nvidia said it does not have "backdoors' in its chips. Kratsios, who was in South Korea to attend an APEC Digital Ministerial Meeting, took aim at China's own AI action plan, which involves forming a global organisation to devise governance and technology standards. "We believe each country should set their own destiny on how they think about regulating artificial intelligence,' he said. "The US model, which puts innovation first, will be the most attractive.' – Bloomberg
