UnionsWA has today commented on the passage of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill. 

Owen Whittle Secretary, UnionsWA said:

“These new laws mean there will now be a fairer fight for fair pay.

“As cost-of-living increases have worsened, the broken industrial relations system has been laid bare.

“For anyone prepared to look, the case for a system that returns some balance to enable working people to secure fair pay has been clear for many years.

“Working women, often in low paid jobs concentrated into industries where their work is undervalued, have been held behind by the old industrial relations system.

“Among the important measures to address the gender pay gap are greater flexibility for rosters, banning pay secrecy clauses that often hide higher pay for men doing the same job and finally requiring the Fair Work Commission will have pay equity as a guiding principle.

“Particularly welcome is the new limit on fixed term contracts, for far too long working people have been forced into a revolving door of short-term contracts forcing wages down and undermining job security.

“The flip-flopping scare campaign by industry which one week claimed there was no evidence this Bill would increase wages, the next claiming it would lead to unsustainable wage inflation, deserved to be ignored.

“The Government, The Greens, Kate Chaney MP and Senator Pocock are congratulated for their support for these and other measures.”