UPDATE on Multi-employer bargaining
The controversial part of the new legislation traverses areas of existing provisions about multi-employer agreements and introduces some new elements. The component parts are variously referred to as “single interest bargaining” or “supported bargaining” or “cooperative bargaining”. What is common to all of these is the enhanced capacity for agreements to be made that will apply to multiple employers, more akin to an award than the single enterprise agreement most employers that bargain are used to. And greater involvement of the FWC.