The passage of the Fair Work Bill 2008 through the Parliament on 20 March 2009 marks a major milestone in the creation of the Government’s new workplace relations system.

The new workplace relations system is designed to balance the needs of employees, the unions and employers to ensure Australia is competitive and prosperous without compromising workplace rights and guaranteed minimum standards.

Employers and employees who operate within the federal workplace relations system will be covered by the new laws, which will start from 1 July 2009.

Consistent with the Government’s election policy commitments, the National Employment Standards and Modern Awards start on 1 January 2010. 

Find out more about Australia’s new workplace relations system.