Ai Group Workplace Lawyers led a series of workshops on hot IR issues at the Australian Industry Group’s PIR Policy Influence Reform) Conference in Canberra this week.
More than 200 delegates attended the two-day forum for workplace relations leaders to hear perspectives and insights from a broad range of speakers including Ai Group experts, the government, opposition, employers, unions and regulators.
On Day 1 of the conference, Ai Group Workplace Lawyers hosted interactive sessions on:
▪ enterprise bargaining;
▪ workforce structuring challenges under the new ruleslaws;
▪ meeting new compliance challenges obligations; and
▪ diversity, equity and inclusion.
The following day, Head of Legal and Consulting, Victoria Halliday, facilitated a panel conversation during which employers shared insights into their own IR opportunities and challenges.
“The employer panel session provided a great opportunity for Ai Group members to hear how their peers are managing some of the common issues faced across industry,” Ms Halliday, pictured, said.
“We know our members find it incredibly useful to learn how other organisations are operationalising some of the challenges faced by industry in the ER and IR space.”
Opening the conference, Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said: “The changes to the Fair Work Act over the past two years have been the most wide-ranging we have seen in our modern workplace in over a decade.
“The legislative process has been gruelling, with four significant pieces of legislation being passed in just over two years — 757 pages of densely written legislation in all.
“We can already see the disruption that has been caused.
“In recent time, we have represented industry in over a dozen significant cases before the Fair Work Commission.
“The proceedings will have implications for how legislation will work in the real world.
“Those cases range across industries. They include some cases that affect the awards system at large such as the Annual Wage Review; the so-called Right to Disconnect and new provisions on union delegates’ rights.
“They include specific cases impacting the social and disability care sectors, the retail sector and fast-food industry among others.
“These changes come at a time of immense upheaval in our national economy.”
PIR (Policy-Influence-Reform) Conference, Introductory remarks, Innes Willox
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