Briefing Paper on the Commonwealth Government Proposals to Reform Workplace Relations in Australia

By Australian Catholic Commission on Employment Relations (ACCER)

The Catholic Church has developed teachings on work and the employment relationship over the past century. The Church's social teachings are essential aspects of the Catholic faith.

Catholic teaching on the spiritual, economic and social aspects of work in modern industrial societies has its genesis in Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. Pope John Paul II reflected on the same issues in a contemporary setting in his encyclicals Laborem Exercens and Centesimus Annus.

Catholic Social Teaching on work starts from the nature and dignity of humanity and work. Employees cannot be treated as commodities, nor can their labour be treated in purely economic terms. Employees have the right to just minimum wages and to just and safe working conditions. Every family has the right to sufficient income through work.

On the basis of the current information provided by the Government, there are concerns about various aspects of its proposals: wage fixing, unfair dismissals, minimum conditions, awards and agreement making, and the functions of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. In particular, these focus on the Government's current proposals to change the wage fixing system by introducing a minimum wage fixed by reference to the single adult employee; abolish unfair dismissal rights for employees of corporations employing 100 or less employees; and change the no-disadvantage test that is applied to the making of collective and individual agreements.

Part of the Government's proposals is the introduction of a national workplace relations system. ACCER is open to this kind of system provided that it is supportive of the essential values and principles necessary for cooperative employment relations.

The Catholic Church has a responsibility to be part of this important discussion. A healthy business sector is essential for providing employment, economic growth and national prosperity. Social justice is also an essential element of a good economic system. Importantly, the relationship between employers and employees must be balanced and be a genuine partnership to achieve economic and social goals. ACCER will work with all sides of politics, unions and employer groups to ensure that this balance is achieved in the proposed reform of Australia's workplace relations system.