Horticulture calls for meaningful discussion following passing of Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill

Peak industry body for Queensland horticulture, Growcom is calling on the federal government to engage in genuine and meaningful discussion after the passing of the new Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 so industry can understand how it will be implemented.

Growcom Chief Executive Officer Rachel Chambers said when discussing a Bill called ‘secure jobs, better pay’ you need to have the business owners, the people who create the jobs for employees, around the table. Without employers there is no employment.

“The horticulture sector wasn’t consulted anywhere near enough in the development of this Bill which in itself is concerning given the unique and seasonal nature of our industry,” Ms Chambers said.

Ms Chambers added that Growcom was prepared to welcome any rational and well-considered changes to industrial relations and labour policy which promote employment. However, warned that unintended consequences were usually the result of rushing through changes.

“The irony for me is we’re dealing with this on one hand and on the other we’re being asked to work through issues around food security,” Ms Chambers said.

“This Bill potentially allows disruptive industrial action in our food and fibre supply chain. Something we all are trying to avoid.”

Growcom was among the employer and advocacy groups who sought to split the Bill so that the more complex issues such as the controversial multi-employer bargaining elements could be delayed until 2023 allowing more time for business to understand the consequences and argue for changes.

“I would like to have a mature conversation going forward around the process we are going to use to improve pay and conditions in the horticulture sector. The government needs to understand the world in which horticulture lives and our unique labour needs,” Ms Chambers said.

“A minority of growers have scarred our sector however, this year’s ‘Minimum wage guarantee’ for pieceworkers has certainly made any legacy arguments about pay conditions in the industry null and void.

“None of us are against better pay and conditions, the issue lies in businesses needing to turn a profit in order to do so. Unfortunately, as a price-taking sector, there is little capacity for growers to pass on any additional costs.

“We are concerned that this bill may be counter intuitive to the government’s intent and instead result in employment of less staff or a scaling down of business.”