CEO Update: We Will Continue to Request Support as the Industry Faces Further Challenges
Posted
We Will Continue to Request Support Against the Challenges Facing Our Industry
This week the ABS released employment data that showed that the ACT has experienced the second largest weekly decline in jobs. The construction industry has experienced a 5% decline in jobs since 14 March 2020.
The ACT Government needs to urgently release an economic plan to:
- Support local jobs and private companies
- Prioritise industrial relations
- Improve the government procurement process
- Reduce taxation and red tape for small businesses.
The Treasurer in his address to the National Press Club said IR flexibility saves jobs and that any changes proposed by the IR working groups comprised of unions and employers must pass the threshold test of protecting and creating jobs.
We welcome the Federal Government’s announcement that it will extend IR flexibility until at least 28 March 2021 and to make them available to businesses which come off JobKeeper over the coming months. We will be advocating to the ACT Government that changes be made to the Secure Local Jobs Code so that the benefits of the IR flexibility being provided at a Federal level can flow to ACT based companies.
Also this week, the ACT Branch of the CFMMEU and three of its officials have been penalised a total of $159,600 after the Federal Court found they engaged in unlawful picketing at a Canberra building site in May 2018. A copy of the full judgement can be read here.
As our industry is already facing great economic hardship, Master Builders ACT will be working closely with other MBA’s across the country to improve the economic conditions so that all construction businesses are supported through the COVID recession.
