Committee Details

COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The Committee tabled its Report No. 4, 55th Parliament - Industrial Relations (Restoring Fairness) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 on 1 June 2015. The Treasurer, Hon C Pitt MP, tabled the Government's response to this report on 4 June 2015. The Bill was PASSED with amendment by the Queensland Parliament on 4 June 2015.

ABOUT THE BILL

On 7 May 2015 the Treasurer, Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships introduced the Industrial Relations (Restoring Fairness) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 into the Queensland Parliament.  In accordance with Standing Order 131, the Bill was referred to the Finance and Administration Committee for detailed consideration.  The Parliament agreed a motion that the Committee report by 1 June 2015.

The policy objectives of the Bill, as outlined in the explanatory notes, are to give effect to the Government’s election commitments and priorities relating to:

• Restoring Fairness for Government Workers, by:
  • reinstating employment conditions for Government workers that were lost as a result of changes to the Industrial Relations Act 1999 (IR Act) made in 2012 and 2013;
  • re-establishing the independence of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (the Commission) when determining wage cases;
  • returning the Commission to its position as a layperson’s tribunal where employees and union advocates operate on a level playing field with employers; and
• Restoring the ability of industrial organisations and their representatives to freely organise and access members so as to enhance and protect their industrial interests.

PUBLIC BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS

Public briefing – 20 May 2015 (Transcript)
Public hearings – 25 May 2015 (Transcript)  and 28 May 2015 (Transcript)

SUBMISSIONS

The date for written submissions closed on 18 May 2015. Please view them under the “Submissions” tab above.