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COSBOA says time is needed to understand the full ramifications of the proposed law.
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Small business uneasy over IR bill, calls for more talks
28 November 2022
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Small business is extremely concerned about the consequences of the industrial relations bill and is calling for more consultation to align it with the needs of the sector, says the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA).
COSBOA said it was looking for certainty about how the law would impact small business and said its members were against being forced into multi-employer bargaining, especially if it was backed by strike action.
COSBOA CEO Alexi Boyd said the association had advocated for changes to IR laws to allow for fair and flexible terms to employ people – something many employees also wanted – so that small business could attract strong talent.
It has also previously called for the definition of a small business under the Fair Work Act to be lifted from 15 employees to at least 20 full-time equivalents, and sought reform to the award system to make it fit for purpose.
“Whilst we are supportive of some aspects of the proposed bill, we need to address the wall of complexity small businesses face when employing people,” Ms Boyd said. “They compete with large business for talent in an already tight workforce, they don’t need more hurdles to jump through
“We are hearing loud and clear that there is a serious concern amongst small businesses about the proposed multi-employer bargaining aspect of the bill. We call for multi-employer bargaining aspects to be stripped from the current bill.
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“Fundamentally, we don’t want this bill adding another layer of complexity to an already multi-layered IR system, which will disincentivise small businesses from employing more people and potentially stifle growth.
“The true implications of this bill are not known. We call on the Government to allow the time and process for the impact to be discussed and understood.”
Ms Boyd said the government needed to provide further explanation on how it envisaged the provisions will impact small business, and then allow for the analysis of that impact to follow.
“The voice of small business must be heard on this bill, for when small business thrives, so do communities,” she said.
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