Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said Malcolm Turnbull’s first priority is attacking people’s rights at work after announcing his government will bring back the bill to establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission as the first item of Parliamentary business this year.

“Instead of legislating for marriage equality or strong action on climate change, Malcolm Turnbull’s first priority is to attack people’s rights at work,” Mr Bandt said.

Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said the Liberal government’s consideration of adopting enterprise contracts for medium-size businesses would dramatically undermine workplace legal minimum standards.

“With about half of the Australian workforce employed in small and medium businesses, the Liberal government’s idea to allow some companies to contract out of legal minimum standards would dramatically undermine people’s rights at work,” Mr Bandt said.

Greens stand with MV Portland seafarers and their families 

The Australian Greens call on the Liberal government to revoke the temporary shipping licence granted to Alcoa, which is putting local jobs on the chopping block.

"We stand with the people whose jobs on the MV Portland are in jeopardy and with their families who face an uncertain Christmas," said Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP.

Responding to reports that the government will announce a Ministerial Working Group on the exploitation of people on working visas, Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said this ‘crackdown’ looks set to just be all talk. Mr Bandt called on the government to support his Private Member’s Bill currently before the Parliament that will help prevent the 7-Eleven style of worker exploitation from occurring in future.

Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said he is disappointed that crossbench Senators joined with the Coalition to deny workers on big projects a voice on their wages and conditions. Crossbench Senators voted with the government to pass the amended Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014 today.

“It is disappointing that crossbench Senators have done a deal with the government that denies workers on big projects a voice on their wages and conditions,” Mr Bandt said.

Labor joins government to vote down work/life balance

Labor Senators joined with the government and members of the crossbench to vote down the Greens’ moves to give people greater control of their work/life balance and greater security for casual workers, particularly those in tertiary education. The amendments were moved in the Senate by Victorian Greens Senator Janet Rice to the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014.

Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today introduced into Parliament a bill to help prevent franchise employees from being underpaid in the future by making head office franchisors share liability for their franchisees’ underpayments.

“Something is wrong with our system when the boss of 7-Eleven is a billionaire but its workers are getting paid under $10 an hour and threatened with deportation,” Mr Bandt said.

“By allowing workers to claim any underpayments directly from head office, this law will help bring about a culture shift.”

In response to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s comments today on weekend rates, Greens spokesperson on industrial relations Adam Bandt MP today said that it will only be a “seven day economy” when Parliament regularly sits on weekends.

“I’ll believe that Saturday and Sunday no longer deserve the same special treatment when Parliament regularly sits on weekends,” Mr Bandt said.

“A ‘seven day economy’ doesn’t mean a seven day working week. The important parts of the weekend should be preserved and if you have to work, you should be paid properly for it.”

Greens workplace relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that weekend rates are a right, not a privilege for private school fees, and Labor linking the two is a losing strategy.

“Forget about private school, without weekend rates many people couldn’t pay the rent,” Mr Bandt said.

“With youth allowance so low and housing costs so high, many young people rely on weekend and penalty rates to pay the rent, stay in study and have enough to eat.”

Greens industrial relations spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to ditch the industrial relations bills the government has been trying to get through the Senate. The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 and the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013 have both been rejected by the Senate and the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014 is currently before the Senate.

Lines attributable to Adam Bandt MP: