section_path: Prime Minister of Australia (2022–present)/Domestic affairs/Industrial relations
section_name: Industrial relations
paragraph_text: Industrial relations
  
  In one of his first acts as prime minister on 27 May 2022, Albanese confirmed that his government would make a submission to the Fair Work Commission in support of an increase to the national minimum wage. On 2 June 2023, the Albanese government contributed to a decision by the Fair Work Commission with another letter encouraging a rise in the minimum wage in line with inflation. The government announced that a submission had been formally made to the commission on 3 June 2022 and that a "deliberate" policy of lower wages was not the policy of the new government. The Fair Work Commission subsequently announced on 15 June 2022 that the minimum wage would be raised by 5.2%.
  
  The government passed new workplace harassment laws through the Parliament on 28 November 2022. The new laws are in line with Albanese's promise to implement the recommendations of the Respect@Work Report by creating a positive duty requiring employers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment.
  
  On 2 December 2022, the government passed its Secure Jobs, Better Pay law through the Parliament. The new law allows unions to negotiate multi-employer pay deals in an effort to secure wage increases across particular sectors such as child care and aged care. The law also aims to close the gender pay gap by prohibiting pay secrecy employment clauses and secures the right of workers to seek flexible working arrangements.
  
  Throughout 2023, the Albanese government attempted to pass additional industrial relations reforms through Parliament, dubbed the Closing Loopholes bill, which aimed to ensure temporary workers employed through labour hire were paid the same wage as regular workers, criminalise wage theft and make companies responsible for industrial manslaughter, among other changes. Despite fierce opposition from the Liberal Party and business lobbies, the first part of the bill was passed by the Senate on 7 December 2023. The second tranche of legislation, which introduced minimum standards for gig workers and allowed workers the right to disconnect, was passed on 8 February 2024.