Queensland Labour Hire Legislation for Shearing Contractors.
As a result of a number of government and parliamentary inquiries and media investigations that have uncovered and highlighted significant evidence of the serious exploitation and mistreatment of ‘labour hire’ workers, the Queensland Office of Industrial Relations (QOIR) has introduced legislation to implement a Labour Hire licensing scheme.
The licensing scheme is designed to stop the exploitation and mistreatment of workers and support legitimate operators, by requiring labour hire providers to be licensed and that users of labour hire use only licensed providers.
The scheme applies to labour hire providers in Queensland who in the course of carrying on a business supply workers to another person to do work. The scheme also covers the users of labour hire services in Queensland and requires that users of labour hire only use licensed providers.
Interstate or overseas organisations that provide labour hire services in Queensland will need to be licensed if they operate in Queensland.
Who Does it cover?
If you supply workers to other persons to do work, you will most likely be covered by the scheme unless the Act or a Regulation provides otherwise. At this stage, the scheme will ‘rope’ in shearing contractors who work in Queensland. The Shearing Contractors Association of Australia (SCAA) has made a submission to the QOIR questioning if the industry should be included.
No decision has been made by the QOIR whether or not shearing contracting will be required to comply. Should it remain included, then Registration will open on 16 April and have 60 days to lodge a license application.
More details will be provided as they become available.
Comment