15th Aug 2017, 6:44 PM – Senate Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017 - Second Reading - Agree with bill's main idea

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the bill's main idea. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a second time. This means the Senate can now discuss the bill in more detail.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bill's homepage, the bill will:

increase maximum civil penalties for certain serious contraventions of the Act [that is, the Fair Work Act 2009]; hold franchisors and holding companies responsible for certain contraventions of the Act by their franchisees or subsidiaries where they knew or ought reasonably to have known of the contraventions and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent them; clarify the prohibition on employers unreasonably requiring their employees to make payments in relation to the performance of work; provide the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) with evidence-gathering powers similar to those available to corporate regulators such as the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission; and prohibit the hindering or obstructing of the FWO and or an inspector in the performance or his or her functions or powers, or the giving of false or misleading information or documents.