The Federal Government’s proposed industrial relations changes go before the Senate this week – the culmination of a long-running (and distracting) national debate which has included the double dissolution election in July.
Unrest on building sites may seem a long way from the issues that affect NRA members and other retailers, but the impact of lost productivity in construction industry flows through to higher building prices, which in turn means higher purchase and rental costs. Further, the standards for both pricing and work practices on large building sites set the tone for the entire building industry, and will impact on the cost of things such as shop fit outs.
We know that retailers traditionally do well in the states where there are lots of construction and infrastructure. The issues that are proposed to be dealt with before the Senate would alleviate a number of the issues which restrict the construction industry and in turn impact retailers.
For this reason, the NRA backs the proposed changes to industrial laws, and we urge the Senate to support them. In our view they are sensible and balanced, and will in the long term help to reduce costs throughout the retail supply chain.
We are now well and truly into the Christmas trading period, with just over a month to go until the big day and it looks like retailers are set to do well this year.
I remind you once again to please get in touch with us especially if you require advice on your responsibilities to casual or permanent employees over the holiday period, Christmas parties, how to deal with temporary business close downs, trading hours or any other legal obligations over the summer.
And I also remind you again of our Roster Coster product, the free tool that will help you maximise the efficiency of your rostering and ensure you are meeting all your legal obligations.
As always, I welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions.
Dominique Lamb, CEO