Is Fair Work Really Going Well?

The Fair Work Review Panel unsurprisingly suggested on Wednesday that the Fair Work Act is basically operating as intended, though that conclusion is unlikely to find much support in the building and construction industry.

To be sure, the review panel did not say that everything was perfect. Indeed, the report acknowledged that productivity growth in recent times has been disappointing, though the panel was not convinced this was due to Fair Work legislation.

The report’s authors also recommended a number of key changes aimed at tackling the productivity issue, including strengthening bodies created under the Fair Work Act, restricting time limits for lodging of unfair dismissal claims and supporting good faith bargaining by restricting protected action ballot orders until after bargaining has commenced.

While the report was welcomed by unions, who have called on the business community to ‘stop blaming workplace laws for their failure to lift productivity’, its key finding.......

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