Employers have spent tens of millions of dollars on a campaign against laws unions say will save the lives of exploited gig economy workers.
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The parliamentary committee examining the government's proposed workplace changes has been told they should be implemented without delay to avoid unnecessary deaths.
The new laws would seek to end the practice of companies using labour-hire workers to undercut the rate of pay agreed for employees.
They also aim to criminalise wage theft and bolster protection for gig workers.
Transport Workers Union secretary Michael Kaine described the measures as "life and death legislation".
"The reform before you to provide enforceable standards across the industry, including importantly for the transport gig economy, is life-saving legislation," he said.
On the committee's first day of hearings, Mr Kaine said the laws would help the sector keep up with developments and address loopholes that impact workers in the gig economy.
"This is a balanced bill. It's one that will restore balance to the road transport industry, it will provide sustainability," he said.
"The industry will be on notice that it needs to modify its behaviour."
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said businesses across Australia were involved in a multimillion dollar campaign to oppose Labor's legislation.
Ms Constable said the reforms will stifle productivity and add unnecessary complexity.
"Rather than building a new innovative society for the future, Australian businesses will be spending their days studying law books and appearing in court trying to work out whether we can even start," she said.
Asked if she supported criminalising wage or superannuation theft, Ms Constable said she did where it was intentional but recognised mistakes could be made.
She said the council supported splitting off four urgent measures in the government's workplace reforms, including allowing first responders experiencing post traumatic stress disorder to make claims faster, to enable earlier legislation.
Australian Trucking Association chief executive Matthew Munro said while the organisation called for the laws to be enacted, the sector still faced long-standing issues.
"The bill contains protections to ensure that unlike the orders made by the former road safety remuneration tribunal, the orders made by the Fair Work Commission will be fair and balanced," he told the inquiry.
The ACTU has called on lobby groups and the opposition to stop blocking the legislation, which it argues will deliver better wages for workers during the cost of living crisis.
ACTU President Michele O'Neil said the nation was in a wage "emergency".
The federal government had hoped to pass the workplace laws by the end of the year.
Those hopes were dealt a blow when the opposition teamed up with the crossbench to delay the reporting date for the Senate inquiry until February.
Australian Associated Press
