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 The
two-year period since the election of the Albanese Labor Government has seen momentous reforms to Australian workplace laws, including the Secure Jobs Better Pay Act passed in late 2022 and the Closing Loopholes Acts 2023 and 2024.
The 2024 ALLA National Conference provides an opportunity for presenters to take stock of this seemingly relentless process of change, and consider the effects of the reforms on workers, businesses,
unions, regulators and other stakeholders.
Abstracts will be sought in early April for papers examining these and related reforms at a general level, or focusing on any of the following issues:
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Pay equity, equal remuneration orders, pay secrecy provisions.
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Measures to combat insecure work: fixed-term contracts, casuals, independent contractors (including statutory definition of employment).
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New positive duty to prevent sexual harassment.
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Collective bargaining, multi-employer bargaining and industrial action.
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Agreement-making and Fair Work Commission approval of agreements.
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Wage theft, new federal criminal offences and penalties, interaction with state laws.
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Gig/platform work regulation and AI/automation.
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Labour hire including ‘same job, same pay’ provisions and licensing schemes.
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Trade unions including new delegates’ rights.
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Road transport industry reforms.
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Flexible work requests, working from home and the right to disconnect.
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The impact of reforms on vulnerable worker groups, including young and migrant workers.
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New federal industrial manslaughter offence and other reforms to WHS laws.
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Competition issues in labour law, including collective bargaining for the self-employed & restraint/non-compete clauses.
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The changing roles of Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman, Workplace Gender Equality Agency, anti-discrimination and health and safety agencies.
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Labour Law research methodologies and theories, researching labour law in practice.
The 2024 conference organising committee consists of Anthony Forsyth, Shae McCrystal, Michael Rawling, Dominique Allen, Adriana Orifici, Emma Goodwin, Marilyn
Pittard and Kelly Thomas.
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