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"This week, the Queensland Parliamentary Committee which inquired into the Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2016 (Qld) released its report. The Committee was unable to agree that the Bill should be passed and, accordingly, the Bill should be abandoned," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said on the 26 July 2017.
"The Bill is unbalanced and would unfairly impact upon many thousands of Queensland businesses that treat their workers fairly.
"Within industry, businesses provide a huge array of different services to other businesses, and often labour is involved to a greater or lesser extent.
“The Bill would lead to the disruption of countless business-to-business services, and expose businesses, their owners and managers, to significant risks and added costs. The coverage definitions in the Bill go far beyond any reasonable notion of 'labour hire.
"Under the provisions in the Bill, harsh civil and criminal penalties would be imposed on businesses, owners and managers, including imprisonment for up to three years. The penalties would apply to those who provide 'labour hire services' without a licence and those, which use an unlicensed service provider.
"The vast majority of labour hire companies are reputable in their employment practices and comply with relevant laws and regulations. Tough laws and penalties are already in place within the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) to deal with employers who break the law, and the Fair Work Ombudsman is a well-resourced and effective regulator.
"The Bill would have a negative impact an employment, training, and business confidence; all of which have a direct impact on the Queensland economy. The Bill needs to be abandoned," Willox said.
Innes Willox is the Chief Executive Officer of Ai Group. This speech and a copy of the full report first appeared on www.aigroup.com.au