Worker penalty rates to get greater legal protection
Measures enshrining penalty rates and overtime pay as workplace conditions will be among the first pieces of legislation brought into parliament as part of the Albanese government's second term in office.
The laws would ensure penalty rates would not be allowed to form part of a single level of pay where employees would be made worse off.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the measures would allow for critical workplace conditions to be kept.
"If you rely on the modern award safety net and work weekends, public holidays, early mornings or late nights, you deserve to have your wages protected," Ms Rishworth said.
"We want this law passed as a top priority, so workers are protected from the loopholes that see their take-home pay go backwards."
The laws will provide protections for almost 2.6 million workers who are on modern-award wages.
The measures came after peak retail and business groups put forward proposals for large companies to opt out of providing penalty rates for staff in exchange for a raise on base levels of pay.
Labor had put forward a submission to the Fair Work Commission opposing the changes.
Ms Rishworth said women, part-time or casual staff and those under the age of 35 were more likely to be covered by penalty rates.
She said workplace agreements should not see pay rates go backwards for staff.
"Enterprise bargaining is the appropriate place to negotiate on entitlements, not eroding the award safety net," she said.
The penalty rate laws would ensure pay packets would not be reduced when applications are made to the Fair Work Commission when pay rates were being negotiated.
Federal parliament will resume on Tuesday for the ceremonial opening, with the first pieces of legislation to be brought forward later in the week.
The penalty rate laws will be among the first pieces of legislation introduced to the 48th parliament, along with reductions to HECS debt for students.
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The Age
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