Thousands of workers across the country have benefitted from pay increases in the first year of the Albanese Labor Government's landmark Same Job Same Pay laws.
The first Same Job Same Pay orders came into effect in November 2024 to ensure labour hire employees get paid at least the same as employees who are directly hired and who are doing the same job.
It's estimated more than 7,600 workers across mining, aviation, railway, meat processing, automotive, water treatment, construction, public administration and warehousing industries have benefitted from the changes so far.
This includes workers at a Queensland mine who had pay increases of up to $60,000 a year and domestic flight attendants securing pay rises of up to $20,000 a year to bring them into line with employees directly employed by the businesses.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said the legislation's achievements in its first 12 months, ensuring bargained wages cannot be undercut by labour hire, speak for themselves.
"If you're doing the same job, with the same experience, while wearing the same uniform - it's only fair that you get the same pay," Minister Rishworth said.
"That's exactly why we passed Same Job Same Pay laws - to stop workers' pay being undercut.
"The Albanese Labor Governments wants to see Australians earn more and keep more of what they earn.
"A year on we're now seeing thousands of workers who are thousands of dollars better off because we changed the law."
The historic Closing Loopholes legislation allows unions, labour hire workers, or host employers, to apply to the Fair Work Commission for an order.
The order means they must be paid at least the full rate of pay as a comparable employee under the host employer's enterprise agreement, where they are performing the same job.
Examples of successful Same Job Same Pay orders include:
- More than 200 workers at NSW coal mines received pay increases of $40,000 per year.
- Freight workers received pay increases of up to $8,000 a year.
- Up to 200 Kmart warehouse workers secured wage increases of up to 12%.
More than 400 flight attendants secured pay rises of up to $20,000 a year.
