Casual conversion legislation on the way for miners

The Morrison Liberal National Government intends to introduce legislation to Parliament which will allow casual miners doing de facto full time work the right to convert to permanent employment.

In recent days, the Attorney-General of Australia wrote to me specifying the Government’s intent to introduce new laws which will provide clear and certain statutory definition and universal and strengthened access to casual conversion.

In that letter, the Attorney-General Christian Porter stated:

‘…I intend to have legislation in the Parliament this year that addresses the two major issues surrounding casual employment, being the uncertainty around the meaning of casual employment and an employee’s ability to access casual conversion.’

‘Both of these issues are interrelated and must be properly considered and reformed at the same time, through a clear and certain statutory definition and universal and strengthened access to casual conversion so employees can choose the form of work that suits their needs.’

As the Attorney-General has said, the Government wants to introduce the legislation this year, which will be particularly significant.

The Liberal National Party strongly supports miners, their families and our communities. Our mining industry supports thousands of jobs and is critical for Central and North Queensland and our national economy. We believe that workers have the right to be rewarded for their efforts as permanent employees.

The Government’s long-standing position is that employers and employees need certainty about their legal entitlements and obligations. They also need to be fair. This is what builds the confidence that will be critical to help businesses emerge from the pandemic. This will be the Government’s priority going forward.

Last year, the Morrison Liberal National Government introduced The Fair Work Amendment (Right to Request Casual Conversion) Bill 2019 with the intent of providing all eligible employees to request to convert to full time or part time employment. This right is intended to ensure that all employees in the national system will have access to a right to request casual conversion. 

Unfortunately, the Labor Party did not support this legislation, preventing these important protections for casual workers from being enacted. The Labor Party talks a big game in Central Queensland, but their record in Canberra speaks for itself. Labor did not support legislation to end casualisation, and their policy platform is to establish a ‘Just Transition’ body to phase out mining jobs in Queensland through pooled redundancies.

The Queensland State election is a referendum on coal. If Labor wins the election, 500 coal workers at the New Acland mine will be sacked by Christmas. To support jobs, put Labor last on your ballot.