BUSINESS groups and unions are being given the chance to apply for WA Government grants to help pay for work aimed at simplifying awards covering their industries.
The Government has earmarked 11 State awards for the program: the Restaurant, Tourism and Catering Award; Shop and Warehouse Award; Hotel and Tavern Award; Metal Trades (general) Award; Transport Workers (general) Award; Security Officers Award; Clerks (commercial, social and professional services) Award; and Motor Vehicle (service stations, sales establishments, rust prevention and paint protection) Award.
To apply for the grants, business groups need to put a proposal to the Government outlining how they wish to simplify those awards and what support they need to do it.
A spokesman for Employment and Consumer Protection Minister John Kobelke said those awards had been chosen because they covered most WA employees.
“The grants come under three sub-titles – to update awards, introduce flexibility to awards and to incorporate industrial agreement provisions,” he said.
“An up front payment will be made when the simplification work commences. A further component comes when an application for a simplified award is lodged with the WA Industrial Relations Commission, and the final instalment comes when the simplified award is registered.
“The simplification process is also about getting rid of rigidities and high cost structures within awards. Removing things such as double time on Sundays.”
Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA director of employee relations Bruce Williams said while the simplification would help the wording of the awards, it would not deliver real benefits to employers.
“The industrial commission has a 100-year history and has never taken back a provision that has been given to employees,” Mr Williams said.
Employers should not hold out that modernisation will change that.”
