Big business is lining up against proposed IR changes. 

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) and other employer groups are opposing the Albanese government’s workplace reforms, which could result in over $4 million in fines for businesses violating workplace laws. 

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations released consultation papers last week about its second tranche of reforms, which include “same job, same pay” laws for labour hire and minimum rates for gig workers. 

Unions and employers have just a month to respond to the papers’ key questions.

The BCA had expressed concerns about the government’s broad consultation while opposing reforms to align labour hire pay with direct-hires and restrict regular casuals, calling them outdated work practices. 

However, Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus has criticised the BCA’s position, stating that “big business profits are skyrocketing, and workers’ wages are going backwards.”

The government’s wage theft paper revealed its intention to increase fines for 20 other workplace laws, beyond the promised jail time and higher fines for underpayments. 

The maximum fines for companies would increase from $82,500 to $412,500 per breach, and $4.125 million for serious breaches. 

The government is considering whether to quintuple fines regardless of underpayment links or only increase them if underpayments are involved.

The government’s paper on minimum standards for ‘employee-like’ workers, including the gig economy, revealed that it would cover “horizontal” and “vertical” on-demand platforms, courier services, caring, transport task-based work, and professional services. 

The reform would extend to corporations’ internal labour hire entities, which includes Qantas and BHP. 

However, the BCA argued that the reforms were the “wrong measures at the wrong time” due to rising costs, labour and skill shortages, and increasing global uncertainty.