The Federal Government has announced a new Fair Work Court to oversee workplace relations disputes.
It says the new court will provide “simpler, fairer and faster justice” for working Australians.
The previous industrial relations court was abolished by the Coalition Government under John Howard in 1997.
In a statement, the Government said the court would “works seamlessly” with the Fair Work Commission and be comprised of specialist judges with relevant experience.
“A fair workplace relations system relies on workers and employers being able to resolve disputes quickly and fairly,” the government said.
“The current court system for workers and employers can be costly, complex to navigate, and slow to respond to the needs of modern workplaces.”
The statement said some workers and small businesses were spending more than two years in disputes that should be simple to resolve.
Sometimes the cases cost more than their claim was worth.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Government would consult on the design of the proposed court this year.
“Consultation will help shape how the Court works, including how it will work with the existing Fair Work Commission, and how it will improve access to justice and better support workers and employers navigating disputes,” he said.
“Workers, employers, and legal experts will be able to provide feedback before the Government considers the court’s final design and next steps.”
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth said having specialist judges with workplace relations expertise would ensure workplace matters were considered by people with the right expertise.
“We want to get this right, which is why consultation will be central to shaping the design of the proposed court,” she said.
Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume said the Coalition supported a workplace relations system that was simple, fair and easy to comply with.
“But Labor’s answer to a complex industrial relations system appears to be creating another layer of legal process,” she said.
“Labor has announced more complexity, not how another judicial body will reduce complexity or make it easier for employers to comply with workplace laws.”
Senator Hume said she shared the concerns of workers and employers about lengthy delays in resolving workplace disputes.
But simply creating another court did not guarantee faster outcomes or a fair system.
