Victoria’s peak business groups have accused Ben Carroll of leaving them “in the dark” and rushing work from home laws through parliament, in a dramatic renewal of hostilities between employers and Labor.
Just two weeks after the new Premier shelved the controversial legislation, declaring his “door will always be open to the business community”, relations have erupted with five industry organisations issuing a joint statement slamming the government over WFH.
The key business groups resumed their political offensive over the laws – enshrining the rights of staff to work from home two days a week – and believe the legislation will be listed for debate in parliament on Thursday.
The Business Council of Australia, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Industry Group, Property Council of Australia and Housing Industry Association called for the bill to be abandoned in the joint statement.
“We are deeply concerned that the Victorian government is set to rush through Jacinta Allan’s work from home legislation this week without due consideration of business views,” the groups stated.
“This is particularly so given the Premier’s desire to reset the government’s relationship with the business community. Following a constructive meeting with the Premier last week, we have been left in the dark with no answers from the government regarding our significant concerns.
‘Legislation must be abandoned’
“We have been very clear: this legislation must be abandoned. If it proceeds, it will damage Victoria’s economy, send jobs interstate and put investment at risk – and that means less opportunities for Victorians.”
The Carroll government rejected claims it was rushing the legislation through parliament, said the business groups would not be blindsided and that the Premier remained committed to briefing industry leaders on amendments that were still being worked on.
The business groups have grown increasingly frustrated by what they claim is a lack of detail and communication from Mr Carroll since last week’s talks and believe his plan to delay WFH laws until July 1 next year and offer carve-outs for small business doesn’t go far enough.
“The Premier said he wanted a ‘reset’ with the business community and to ‘grow the economy’, given the dire economic situation in Victoria,” the joint statement declared.
“To be clear, a reset with business is impossible if this bill proceeds in any form. Victoria has the highest unemployment rate in the nation and at a time when households and businesses are under significant pressure, we believe Victoria cannot afford policies that take its economy backwards. This is precisely the wrong time to impose another rigid, costly and unnecessary layer of regulation on employers.
“The government should be focused on attracting investment and creating jobs, not forcing through Jacinta Allan’s legislation that will make it harder to employ people and run a business.
‘Work with us’
“The Premier still has an opportunity to demonstrate that his commitment to a new economic approach is genuine. We call on the government to halt the bill and work with us on a new economic agenda to get the state back on track.”
After toppling Ms Allan, Mr Carroll moved to mend relations with employers and delayed the state’s work-from-home reforms until July next year.
Saying he still supported working from home, Mr Carroll said he “equally” wanted to continue working with the business community to ensure the policy was right.
The prospect of a compromise came after Property Council of Australia chief executive Mike Zorbas said the show of unity among the nation’s major business groups reflected the seriousness of their concerns. “This bill, if it goes forward, is going to bomb business back into the Stone Age,” he said.
The council’s Victorian executive director, Cath Evans, said earlier this month the bill should be scrapped. “Victorians already have access to flexible working arrangements under the existing federal workplace relations framework, which is why additional state-based regulation is simply not necessary,” Ms Evans said.
Damon JohnstonMelbourne Bureau Chief