Changes will ‘streamline’ workplace laws

THE Federal Government will amend unfair dismissal laws to bring the Fair Work Act up to date, Workplace Relations Minister B i l l Shorten says.

Mr Shorten met union and business representatives of the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council yesterday to advise them of Labor’s response to a review of the Act, released in August.

The Government plans to draft legislation this year to support 17 of the council’s 51 recommendations, the most important of which concerns unfair dismissal laws affecting small and medium-sized business.

‘‘We are able to announce changes which will streamline the unfair dismissal system, which don’t compromise the fundamental rights of people who have been mistreated to make a claim and which will clean up some of the vexatious behaviour at the margins,’’ Mr Shorten said.

The Government w i l l impose a new limit of 21 days for lodging unfair dismissal and general protections claims, replacing the current limits of 14 days and 60 days.

Claims that are without merit may be dismissed, and anyone who makes a claim without a strong case will have to bear the costs.

‘‘ The current system’s good, but we’re going to make it even better,’’ Mr Shorten said.

He said some workplace issues before the council, which met in Melbourne, remain disputed, including greenfields agreements and access to arbitration.

The Fair Work Act, introduced 21⁄ years ago, replaced WorkChoices.