The Gillard Government today introduced amendments to the Fair Work Act to protect the entitlements of tens of thousands of state public servants whose jobs are threatened.

 

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten said the Fair Work Amendment (Transfer of Business) Bill 2012 will protect the entitlements of these employees where their jobs are lost in certain circumstances, including outsourcing or asset sales and they are employed within the national workplace relations system to do the same job in a transfer business.

 

“In general terms the amendments mean that when a public sector employee loses their job and there is a transfer of business to a  new employer in the national workplace relations system, the employee will have their conditions and entitlements protected and their prior service recognised,” Mr Shorten said.

 

The changes will strengthen the existing transfer of business provisions under the Fair Work Act 2009, which currently apply only when both the old and new employers are covered by the national workplace relations system.

 

“I am deeply concerned about recent Coalition state government announcements to cut tens of thousands of public sector jobs,” Mr Shorten said.

 

“The Commonwealth will not stand idly by and allow employers, including state governments, to cut employee pay and conditions in this way and put accrued entitlements at risk.

 

“State public sector workers should not be worse off as a result of conservative state governments outsourcing their jobs.”

 

Minister Shorten’s Media Contact: Sam Casey 0421 697 660