New laws improving the ACT Magistrates Court’s role in hearing Fair Work cases have been introduced into the Legislative Assembly, offering ACT workers a timely, inexpensive and informal avenue for resolving workplace disputes.
Introduced by Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay, the new rules will allow the Court to hear matters in an internal ‘Industrial Court’ and make mediation compulsory for all cases.
The Magistrate’s Court’s restriction to cases worth less than $250,000 will not apply.
“The timely, inexpensive and informal resolution of fair work matters is critical for the many Canberrans who simply cannot afford to be under paid, out of a job or subjected to unfair treatment at work,” Mr Ramsay said.
“This Bill promotes consistency in approach with the Federal fair work scheme, and enables fair work matters to be dealt with alongside other employment-related litigation,” he said.
“The compulsory mediation provisions within the Bill are designed to assist parties to fair work matters to resolve their disputes early and with the minimum of legal form and technicality.’
He said the new laws would allow union officials to represent their members in small claim matters before the Court, as long as the Court agreed.
“This Bill enhances our justice system to help make sure that Canberrans can get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” Mr Ramsay said.
The proposed new arrangements were welcomed by the ACT’s unions with the Secretary of UnionsACT, Alex White saying working people needed a simpler, fairer and less expensive system to hold unscrupulous bosses to account when they ‘steal wages’.
“Our hope is that these proposed laws are given strong and unanimous support by all members of the Assembly” Mr White said.
