❓ The WA Government outlines steps taken to ensure state awards are up-to-date, including supporting wage increases and streamlining awards through the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, while addressing discrepancies in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
AnsweredQoN 1080Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
What is the Government doing to increase the relevance of state awards? Mr KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
State awards are crucial to our industrial relations system. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that awards are up to date and relevant. The national wage case decision gave award workers an increase of $18 a week. The Government supported a full flow-on by general order in the state wage case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The commission handed down an $18 a week increase this week by general order applicable from 1 August. The commission went further and said that it would involve itself, to the extent possible, in the streamlining of awards. That very much fits in with what the Government has proposed in the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, which I hope will be passed soon by the other place. The wage case raised the issue of what should be the minimum wage in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act. The Government could not foretell when the legislation was drafted what the state wage case determination would be. Therefore, the minimum wage in the Bill is not $431.40, which will be the state award minimum from 1 August. We will have the opportunity before that legislation is passed to update the figure so that the minimum as determined by the commission will be included in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
Mr KOBELKE replied: State awards are crucial to our industrial relations system. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that awards are up to date and relevant. The national wage case decision gave award workers an increase of $18 a week. The Government supported a full flow-on by general order in the state wage case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The commission handed down an $18 a week increase this week by general order applicable from 1 August. The commission went further and said that it would involve itself, to the extent possible, in the streamlining of awards. That very much fits in with what the Government has proposed in the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, which I hope will be passed soon by the other place. The wage case raised the issue of what should be the minimum wage in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act. The Government could not foretell when the legislation was drafted what the state wage case determination would be. Therefore, the minimum wage in the Bill is not $431.40, which will be the state award minimum from 1 August. We will have the opportunity before that legislation is passed to update the figure so that the minimum as determined by the commission will be included in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
State awards are crucial to our industrial relations system. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that awards are up to date and relevant. The national wage case decision gave award workers an increase of $18 a week. The Government supported a full flow-on by general order in the state wage case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The commission handed down an $18 a week increase this week by general order applicable from 1 August. The commission went further and said that it would involve itself, to the extent possible, in the streamlining of awards. That very much fits in with what the Government has proposed in the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, which I hope will be passed soon by the other place. The wage case raised the issue of what should be the minimum wage in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act. The Government could not foretell when the legislation was drafted what the state wage case determination would be. Therefore, the minimum wage in the Bill is not $431.40, which will be the state award minimum from 1 August. We will have the opportunity before that legislation is passed to update the figure so that the minimum as determined by the commission will be included in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
Mr KOBELKE replied: State awards are crucial to our industrial relations system. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that awards are up to date and relevant. The national wage case decision gave award workers an increase of $18 a week. The Government supported a full flow-on by general order in the state wage case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The commission handed down an $18 a week increase this week by general order applicable from 1 August. The commission went further and said that it would involve itself, to the extent possible, in the streamlining of awards. That very much fits in with what the Government has proposed in the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, which I hope will be passed soon by the other place. The wage case raised the issue of what should be the minimum wage in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act. The Government could not foretell when the legislation was drafted what the state wage case determination would be. Therefore, the minimum wage in the Bill is not $431.40, which will be the state award minimum from 1 August. We will have the opportunity before that legislation is passed to update the figure so that the minimum as determined by the commission will be included in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
State awards are crucial to our industrial relations system. The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure that awards are up to date and relevant. The national wage case decision gave award workers an increase of $18 a week. The Government supported a full flow-on by general order in the state wage case before the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The commission handed down an $18 a week increase this week by general order applicable from 1 August. The commission went further and said that it would involve itself, to the extent possible, in the streamlining of awards. That very much fits in with what the Government has proposed in the Labor Relations Reform Bill 2002, which I hope will be passed soon by the other place. The wage case raised the issue of what should be the minimum wage in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act. The Government could not foretell when the legislation was drafted what the state wage case determination would be. Therefore, the minimum wage in the Bill is not $431.40, which will be the state award minimum from 1 August. We will have the opportunity before that legislation is passed to update the figure so that the minimum as determined by the commission will be included in the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act.
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