A stripped-back version of the government’s industrial relations reforms has passed Federal Parliament, triggering changes for the rights of casual workers.
Under the new laws, regular casuals will be able to ask for a permanent job after 12 months, but employers would have the right to say no.
The government was forced to ditch other parts of its legislation, after failing to win over key members of the Senate crossbench.
Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke described the result as a “humiliating defeat” for the Coalition.
“We saw section after section of the bill being gutted. It was like things collapsing in the main scenes of a disaster movie.”
With Labor and the Greens opposed to the entire bill, the government relied on the vote of Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff and One Nation.
Acting Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash declared the passage of the legislation is a “significant win” for workers wanting to secure a permanent role.
“These measures will protect jobs into the future, a critical move as Australia moves out of the economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
This content first appear on 9news