Watch leading Australian workplace relations lawyer and strategist discuss the announcement by the Federal Government tabling an IR Reform agenda.

That media release says as follows:

Key stakeholders from employer, industry and employee groups will join the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations, Christian Porter, to map out the working group consultation process that will take place over the next four months – as outlined by the Prime Minister in his speech to the National Press Club last month.

“As the Prime Minister said, it is critical that all sides of the debate lay down their arms and commit to work together during this process to find ways to get our economy moving again and urgently regrow the jobs so many Australians have lost as a result of COVID-19,” the Attorney-General said.

Those attending the first roundtable will receive a detailed economic briefing from the Department of the Treasury as well as hearing from other government officials about the scale of the sector by sector challenge now being faced to regrow jobs and chart a path to economic recovery.

In making it clear that there is an IR Reform agenda, the release goes on to say

They will also be consulted on the make-up, forward agenda and operating arrangements for the five reform committees which will each focus on one key area of the IR system, including:

Award simplification
Enterprise agreement making
Casuals and fixed term employees
Compliance and enforcement; and
Greenfields agreements for new enterprises

The committees will be chaired by the Attorney-General and will have a maximum of 15 members who will bring practical experiences to the table about how the IR system works. Each working group will also have the ability to draw upon an agreed pool of external industry experience and subject matter experts. Working groups will be supported by a secretariat including senior officials from Treasury and Finance who will assist the committees to accurately cost the beneficial impacts of any proposals.

IR Reform agenda outcomes sought?

The process is directed at committee members being potentially able to reach a consensus around policy proposals that the Government can then put into action, either by way of legislation, regulation, or via the budgetary process in October.