The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) today stepped up efforts to ensure a fairer and more productive building and construction sector, launching an online hub to support industry participation in its Sham Contracting Roundtable and Inquiry.
ABC Commissioner Leigh Johns said the user-friendly website served as a portal for interested parties to contribute to, and access all resources related to the Inquiry.
“Sham contracting is unfair and unlawful,” Commissioner Johns said.
“The roundtable and inquiry will help stamp out practices which hurt workers, undermine the building and construction sector and damage the reputation of decent employers.”
“The website is another forum to actively engage industry stakeholders throughout this process. Working together, we can arrive at whole-of-government solutions to the problems sham contracting presents. Ultimately, solutions will be devised by those who participate,” he said.
Sham contracting is the unlawful arrangement whereby an employer disguises an employee as a contractor, usually pressuring them to get an ABN to avoid paying entitlements such as superannuation, sick leave and overtime, as well as dodging tax liabilities.
Commissioner Johns announced the Terms of the Sham Contracting Roundtable and Inquiry on 19 November 2010, and released a Discussion Paper on 22 December 2010.
Visitors to www.shamcontractinginquiry.gov.au will be able to:
- Download the Discussion Paper;
- Access the Inquiry Terms of Reference and relevant resources, including legislation;
- Make and view public submissions (submissions may also be made confidentially);
- Register for upcoming roundtables; and
- Examine the progress of the Inquiry.
All participants will be asked to submit responses to 11 questions posed in the discussion paper and lodge in-depth submissions through the website by 7 March 2011.
The Roundtable and Inquiry represent the first time all relevant government departments, key building and construction industry stakeholders and individual employees and contractors tackle the issue together.
“Open, constructive dialogue between all parties is critical to developing the best responses to end the scourge of sham contracting,” Commissioner Johns said.
“The roundtable, inquiry and website all facilitate sharing diverse insights and proposals to bring about fair and productive construction work that strengthens jobs and the economy.”
Roundtable events will be held in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth in late March and early April 2011.