The Impact of COVID-19 on Labour Regulation in Australia

This introduction provides an overview of some of the significant developments in Australian labour regulation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a prelude to the other articles in this special issue. We consider the federal government’s efforts to foster a cooperative approach between business and union groups to tackling the crisis, including in the adjustment of awards to facilitate changes to business operations and home-working, as well as the implementation of various forms of income support. Responses by state and territory governments are also examined, including changes to the regulation of public sector work and the provision of pandemic leave payments. Finally, the introduction briefly discusses the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 (Cth), only fragments of which were eventually passed into law, and concludes by noting the significant problems that the Bill failed to address.