Parliament of Australia | |
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| |
Citation | No. 28, 2009 or No. 28, 2009 as amended |
Territorial extent | States and territories of Australia |
Enacted by | House of Representatives |
Royal assent | 7 April 2009 |
Commenced | 1 July 2009 |
Legislative history | |
Introduced by | Rudd government |
First reading | 25 November 2008 |
Second reading | 1 December 2008 |
First reading | 5 December 2008 |
Second reading | 11 March 2009 |
Related legislation | |
Industrial Relations Act 1988 Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005 | |
Status: In force |
The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, passed by the Rudd government to reform the industrial relations system of Australia.[1][2] Replacing the Howard government's WorkChoices legislation, the Act established Fair Work Australia, later renamed the Fair Work Commission.[3]
As the core piece of Australian labour law legislation, it provides for terms and conditions of employment, and also sets out the rights and responsibilities of parties to that employment.
The Act established a safety net consisting of a national set of employment standards, national minimum wage orders, and a compliance and enforcement regime.[4] It also establishes an institutional framework for the administration of the system comprising the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman, The Fair Work Divisions of the Federal Court and Federal Magistrates Court and, in some cases, state and territory courts, perform the judicial functions under the Act.[5]
The Act is the foundation of Australia's industrial relations legal framework, thought to be one of the most complex in the world.[6][7][8]