Australian Labour Law Association

The Australian Labour Law Association (ALLA) was incorporated in Victoria on 27 February 2001 and now has active State Chapters in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. ALLA's main objectives are to promote the study of labour law and social security both in Australia and internationally, and to provide a forum for discussion and debate for lawyers and others working in these fields.

Get a copy of the ALLA Rules of Association here

TwitterLinkedIn

1:00pm, Monday 20 November 2023 AEDT

Discrimination Law Reform: Evaluating Progress, Identifying Gaps

The last few years have seen significant changes to workplace discrimination laws. At the federal level, the Respect@Work report led to changes to sex discrimination and sexual harassment laws.

The ACT and Northern Territory have recently amended their antidiscrimination legislation, and change is on the horizon in Queensland. In this webinar, Associate Professor Dominique Allen, Monash University and Associate Professor Alysia Blackham, University of Melbourne, will examine these developments, including new mechanisms like positive duties, and identify areas still in need of reform.

See the event flyer for further details and registration.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Courier-459.JPG

5:00pm, Thursday 9 November 2023 AEDT

Exploring the Albanese Government’s proposed reforms of gig work regulation

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill includes important proposed changes to the regulation of platform work in Australia, including a statutory definition of employment and powers for the Fair Work Commission to set standards and settle disputes for employee-like workers. In this ALLA webinar, our panel of expert speakers featuring: Professor Joellen Riley-Munton, University of Technology Sydney; Dr Michael Rawling, University of Technology Sydney; and Nicholas Ellery, Francis Burt Chambers, will explore the key features and implications of these significant reforms (if they are enacted and implemented in early 2024).

See the event flyer for further details and registration.

Closing the Gap: Understanding the New Workplace Gender Equality Laws

ALLA was pleased to present  Mary Wooldridge, CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Samone McCurdy, WGEA Capacity Building Executive Manager, and Jacquie Seemann, Partner, Thomson Geer, exploring the aetiology and substance of the amendments introduced by the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Act 2023, as well as the amendments to the Workplace Gender Equality (Gender Equality Standards) Instrument 2023 and the Workplace Gender Equality (Matters in relation to Gender Equality Indicators) Instrument 2023.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

Looking Back, Looking Forwards: Reflections on the Role of the Fair Work Ombudsman and a New Era for Enforcement

ALLA was pleased to host, Sandra Parker PSM, in the last week of her five-year term as Fair Work Ombudsman, looking back on her period at the helm of the agency primarily responsible for enforcement of Australia’s workplace laws. Sandra highlighted some of the key challenges which confronted the FWO over this time, and the significant changes which lie ahead as the federal government seeks to implement its policy proposals for an even tougher approach to compliance – including criminal penalties for underpayments and other breaches of the law.

Sandra's speech is available via the FWO website.

*this event was not be recorded

The Changing Landscape on Sexual Harassment: The New FWA Provisions

Implementing recommendations of the AHRC Respect@Work report, successive amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) have prohibited workplace sexual harassment and empowered the FWC to deal with disputes about sexual harassment by issuing ‘stop orders’, conciliation, mediation, making recommendations and expressing opinions, and where agreed, by arbitration. The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) has also been amended to expand the prohibitions on sexual harassment and impose a positive prevention duty.

ALLA was pleased to present,  our panel of expert speakers featuring Gabrielle Marchetti, JobWatch; Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers; Associate Professor Belinda Smith, University of Sydney, and panel chair, Professor Beth Gaze, reflecting on the new FWA provisions and their implications for complainants when deciding under which jurisdiction to bring a claim. Access the full flyer for futher details.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA National Webinar - Adverse Action Update

The case law emerging from the Federal Court of Australia on the circumstances in which an employee is able to make a complaint or inquiry for the purposes of section 341(1)(c)(ii) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and on the task of assessing the reasons for taking adverse action among multiple decision-makers and contributors continues to provoke debate. The NSW Chapter of ALLA was pleased to present our expert panel featuring Emma Goodwin, Thomson Geer; Larissa Andelman, NSW Bar; and David Chin SC, NSW Bar, exploring these controversies and the latest case law. Access the event flyer for further details.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA National Webinar - Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act Essentials: What it means for workplace law

ALLA was pleased to present our panel of expert speakers, featuring Nick Ellery, WA Bar; Professor Marilyn Pittard, Monash University (Panel Chair); and Professor Andrew Stewart, University of Adelaide, reflecting on key aspects of the recently enacted Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act that extensively amends the Fair Work Act. The panel focused particularly on the implications of the changes for enterprise bargaining and agreements, the BOOT, flexible work, fixed term contracts and pay secrecy. Access the event flyer for further details.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA National Webinar - Hard Labour: Wage theft in the age of inequality

ALLA was pleased to present Ben Schneiders discussing his new book, Hard Labour: Wage theft in the age of inequality with Anthony Forsyth.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA National Webinar - The Primacy of Deterrence: Civil Penalties Under the Fair Work Act After ABCC v Pattinson

ALLA was pleased to present 'The Primacy of Deterrence: Civil Penalties Under the Fair Work Act After ABCC v Pattinson' chaired by David Chin SC and presented by Julia Watson and Philip Boncardo.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA National Webinar - Putting Human Rights to Work: The Role of Rights in the Foundations of Labour Law

ALLA was pleased to present 'Putting Human Rights to Work: The Role of Rights in the Foundations of Labour Law' presented by Dr Philippa Collins, University of Bristol.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

National Webinar co-hosted by ALLA and QUT's Centre for Decent Work and Industry

Polls Apart? What the Federal Election Could Mean for Workers and Employers

ALLA and the QUT Centre for Decent Work and Industry were pleased to present 'Polls Apart? What the Federal Election Could Mean for Workers and Employers' presented by Professor Andrew Stewart.

This seminar was recorded and is available to view here.

National Webinar - The Functions, Powers and Compliance Activities of Wage Inspectorate Victoria: A Conversation with Rob Hortle

The Australian Labour Law Association was pleased to present 'The Functions, Powers and Compliance Activities of Wage Inspectorate Victoria: A Conversation with Rob Hortle' on 4 May 2022, presented by Robert Hortle, Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria and chaired by Associate Professor Tess Hardy.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

National Webinar - Labour Law Implications of recent High Court Decisions: Jamsek and Personnel Contracting

The Australian Labour Law Association was pleased to present 'Labour law implications of recent High Court Decisions: Jamsek and Personnel Contracting' on 10 March 2022, presented by Mark Irving QC, Rachel Francois, and chaired by Professor Joellen Riley-Munton.

Fact summaries and other relevant materials provided by the speakers are available here.

This video is available to ALLA members - contact law-alla@unimelb.edu.au

ALLA Annual General Meeting 2021

ALLA's 21st Annual General Meeting was held at 5:00pm AEDT Thursday 18 November 2021 via Zoom video conference. Membership of the 2022 National Committee can be view here.