A new labour-hire licensing scheme was unveiled by the ACT government last week.
After flagging their intention to implement a licensing scheme in 2018, the government has revealed they intend to launch a new scheme sometime in 2021. The licencing scheme is intended to curb the exploitation of workers in some areas of labour-hire supply.
At the time, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT would look to existing systems in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland to help develop the laws. A comparison of each can be found here.
Under the new scheme, labour-hire companies will be forced to apply for a licence and to meet a ‘suitable person’ test and demonstrate their compliance with industry standards and workplace laws.
Similar to other states, a public register will also be set up for businesses and workers to know which labour-hire services are compliant with the new scheme. It is not yet clear if they will isolate the scheme to certain industries as other states have done or to create a blanket license to cover all levels of labour-hire supply.
Providers will have a six-month transition period to apply for license starting from January next year.