Five years after it was introduced, the Labour Hire Licensing Scheme continues to lead the nation and ensure workers were protected better, the Minister for Industrial Relations, Grace Grace has said.
Under the scheme, Ms Grace said all labour hire providers must be licensed to provide labour hire services, and users of labour hire must only engage with licensed operators.
She said the scheme was created through extensive consultation with the labour hire industry and worker representatives.
“It seeks to support responsible labour hire and provide greater protections to workers. It has seen nearly 4,000 licences issued since 2018,” the Minister said.
“The scheme’s introduction followed the findings of a Parliamentary inquiry into the labour hire industry which recommended the instigation of a licensing scheme to directly address dishonest and exploitative business practices by some labour hire providers and users.”
She said the scheme was not only acknowledged across the country for its robust legislative framework, but also for the way it brought together other regulatory Agencies, such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, Border Force, the Australian Tax Office, WorkCover Queensland and Local Governments.
“These coordinated efforts have contributed to better protections for vulnerable workers and their entitlements, and in maintaining a level playing field for all labour hire businesses,” Ms Grace said.
“I continue to be impressed by the outcomes of this scheme and I’m not alone in this sentiment with many advocates across the industry heralding its successes.”
She said it had made reputable businesses feel confident that providers doing wrong by the industry would be held accountable.
Information about the scheme can be accessed at this PS News link.
