Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022, which the Greens are pleased to support with the changes secured through our negotiations with the government. Industrial relations in this country have been firmly stacked against workers for too long, so it's good to see some movement in the right direction to give workers more power to organise, particularly in lower-paid industries. Workers haven't seen a pay rise in real terms for a decade. People on low incomes are being forced to endure inflation on essential items and housing costs and are being hit hard by interest rate increases while corporate profits continue to skyrocket.

We support industrial relations changes that shift the dial back toward power for working people. The Greens have worked hard to secure changes to the bill, and we're also pleased to see several longstanding Greens positions within the legislation. These include an enforceable right to a better work-life balance, banning of pay secrecy clauses and abolishing the ABCC.

The government's original bill attempted to remove prospective workers from being considered under the better off overall test when agreements are approved, something we were concerned could have led to prospective workers being worse off. The Greens have ensured that the test will remain in the legislation, protecting workers' conditions. I am particularly pleased that hospitality workers and those in retail will be protected under the agreement that we secured on the better off overall test. We had real concerns that some workers could be sidelined from being covered by the test, and I'm very pleased to see these protections remain in place.

For workers in feminised industries, especially early childhood educators and people in aged or disability care, a pay rise cannot come soon enough. Workers throughout Queensland and my home of Central Queensland deserve a pay rise. These care industries are the backbone of our society. In my view, the work they do is amongst the most important in our community. Respecting these industries is critical. Respect means a significant pay rise and better conditions. Critically, it also means the right to organise and bargain collectively.

I'm also pleased to see the end of pay secrecy clauses in employment contracts, which have also contributed to the persistence of the gender pay gap. I'll never forget how shocked I was when I discovered that a young male colleague in the law firm I was working for was being paid more than me, despite me acting as his mentor. I'm also proud to support a bill that secures the right to flexibility for workers with caring responsibilities. The work that my colleague Senator Barbara Pocock has done on the Work and Care Select Committee revealed the importance of an enforceable right to request unpaid parental leave and the right to request flexibility. That is now enshrined in the legislation.

This is just the start of industrial relations reforms in this parliament. There's a lot more to do. We need to get sick leave for casuals, we need to move towards a four-day work week and we need to outlaw insecure work. That is now the next fight.