Transmission Of Business Under WorkChoices

The Federal Government's new workplace relations laws, introduced by the Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Act 2005, came into force amid much fanfare on 27 March 2006.

WorkChoices substantially amends the Workplace Relations Act 1996 ("the WRA", or the "used to be a far shorter Act" Act), and now the WRA runs to a James Joyce’ esque two volumes and 1300 plus pages.

The Explanatory Memorandum on its own was 13 pages longer than the original version of the WRA.

The new WRA certainly has a big job though. It is estimated that some 75-85% of Australian employees are covered by the new regime.

This includes:

• virtually all Victorian employees given the Victorian government's referral of its workplace relations powers to the Commonwealth in 1996;