The living wage crisis in Australian industrial relations

Figures & data

Table 1. Key types of regulatory change currently proposed to improve wage compliance.

	Legal regulation	Meta-regulation: culture of compliance	Voluntary regulation
Workers	Specific protections for workers e.g. Whistleblower protections National compensation system for underpayment survivors Changes to visa regulations re: hiring, wages and conditions, complaint protections		Establish cooperatives and mutual organisations – e.g. the new cooperative taxi-alternative venture, Juno which may provide an alternative to uberisation (Walker and Kaine)
Employers/ contractors	New regulations; stronger/more targeted sanctions e.g. Advance warnings Licencing systems Changes to employer responsibilities under visa laws (stronger) Criminal sanctions Director liabilities and disqualification	FWO enforcement of law via administrative sanctions such as enforceable undertakings, proactive compliance deeds, etc.	Industry and company codes of practice Accreditation and market-oriented incentive schemes, e.g. awards; market concessions; access to markets (government contracts)
Supply chain	Comprehensive law engaging the chain of responsibility in an industry (e.g. National Heavy Vehicle Law) which extends to companies at top of supply chains, franchisees and labour hire companies.	FWO building a supply chain ‘culture of compliance’ through enforceable undertakings, etc. throughout the supply chain	Industry codes of practice Accreditation and market-oriented incentive schemes, e.g. awards; market concessions; access to markets (government contracts)