Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke has left room for more debate on protecting small businesses to prevent multi-employer agreements from being contested.
Under the current Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill, workers are excluded from bringing companies of fewer than 15 people to the bargaining table in multi-employer agreements if the employer does not agree.
Employment and Labor Relations Minister and Arts Minister Tony Burke on Thursday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The opposition and MPs believe that the benchmark is too low, as small businesses such as coffee shops usually have more than 15 workers.
The Coalition moved an amendment to the bill to raise the threshold to 200, which Burke said was too high. However, he said: “That debate will continue about how you basically define a small business, and there’s a reasonable conversation going on.”
Meanwhile, South Australian independent Rebekha Sharkie has pushed to amend the legislation to raise the threshold to 100, saying the reform would capture fruit and veg shops, petrol stations and other small independent operators.
“This bill is inadvertently pitting mom-and-pop operators against the unions,” Sharkie said.
“This government is setting up small business for a David and Goliath battle, where David is small business and the Goliath is the unions.”
Burke said the government’s preference was to keep it at 15 people.
“I want to make it clear that the government will oppose the amendments, with the understanding that the debate on this will likely continue in the other place. [the Senate].”
Burke has previously foreshadowed the possibility of further amendments to those introduced today, following the results of an ongoing Senate inquiry into the bill.