本平台将致力于为您提供与您在澳洲的投资项目相关的法律信息与服务、同时也会将与中国企业及个人投资者热切关注的产业相关澳洲新闻、最新行业规定等讯息及时传递给您。
澳洲公司的劳资关系——下
工资标准
工资标准是法定文件，其中包含适用于大多数从事特定行业工作的员工适用的最低条款和条件。工资标准的条款和条件是对NES中相关条款的补充，雇主需要确保熟知任何可能适用于其员工的工资标准。
集体劳资协议
集体劳资协议是包含关于一个员工群体的条款和条件的协议，通常是受雇于同意雇主的员工群体。集体劳资协议是雇主和员工之间通过协商达成的，协商可以由员工直接参与，也可以通过协商代表进行，例如工会。
个人雇佣合同
雇主和员工个人之间也可以签订一份个人雇佣合同。合同条款必须符合NES、工资标准和集体劳资协议中规定的最低就业标准。个人合同通常涉及额外的未包含在NES以及适用工资标准或集体劳资协议中的条款和条件。可能涉及的条款和条件包括奖金、牺牲工资来支付养老金和劳动期限结束后的限制。
潜在的雇佣索赔
不公平解雇：FW法规定了某些员工被解雇后进行上诉的机制，前提是该员工是在苛刻的、不公平的或不合理的情况下被“不公平解雇”的。如果员工在不公平解雇索赔中胜诉，则其可以恢复工作并获得全额工资补偿，或获得金额不超过六个月工资的赔偿。
一般保护：如果雇主对员工因为具有工作场所权利、行使了工作场所权利或意图行使工作场所权利而对员工有“报复行为”，员工可以根据FW法中的一般保护条款提起诉讼。报复行为诉讼也可以由准雇员和独立承包人展开，且不限于终止雇佣关系或合同。
歧视：除了根据FW法提起一般保护索赔，员工也可以根据联邦或州反歧视法对其雇主或前雇主提出歧视索赔。如果该员工与其他员工相比，由于其年龄、种族、宗教、性别、性取向、存在或发现残疾等原因被不公正对待，此类索赔将获得成功。
其他可能的索赔：如果违反雇佣合同或该雇佣存在误导及欺诈行为，还可以根据联邦竞争和消费者保护法提出索赔。
工作场所的健康和安全
澳大利亚拥有完善的州级工作场所健康和安全制度，该制度要求雇主确保其员工和进入该雇主的工作场所的其他人的安全和健康。
健康和安全检查员有权检查任何工作场所，以确保雇主遵守其工作场所的健康和安全义务。如果违反工作场所健康和安全义务，雇主，包括董事及管理人员，将面临检控。并可以施以多达$160万元的罚款及监禁。
歧视
除了FW法的一般保护条款中对于歧视的禁令，联邦和州级还存在反歧视法，以禁止某些与招聘、雇佣条款及条件、解雇以及获得晋升和培训的机会等方面有关的歧视性规定。
提起歧视索赔的理由是广泛的。比较常见的诉讼理由包括残疾、年龄、性别和种族，另外还有民族血统、政治观点、性别认同、犯罪记录和医疗记录等方面的歧视索赔。
养老金
根据澳大利亚实行的强制性养老金担保计划，雇主必须为其雇员支付养老金。根据1992年养老金担保费法，所有雇主必须向一个复合规定的养老金基金支付养老金（目前是按照员工正常收入的9.25%至最高缴费基数）。如果雇主未能为员工支付，或支付金额不足，雇主将承担养老金保障费用的法律责任。
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【专业干货——助您成功投资澳洲业务】
以下是我们将在最近即将为您带来的专题信息：
· 澳大利亚的外商投资基本规则
· 澳大利亚税收政策
后续还将陆续为您带来以下主题及更多与您生意相关的资讯：
· 澳大利亚背景篇：包括澳大利亚政府制度、法律制度、企业结构
· 其他常见领域法律与规定：技术与知识产权保护、反垄断和消费者保护法、合同法、公开接管、电子商务、商业移民和雇主担保签证、房地产、环境法、气候变化相关规定
（原创文章，欢迎转发，谢谢关注！未经授权，严禁转载！）
Workplace Relations in Australia
– Part 2
Awards
Awards are statutory instruments which contain the minimum terms and conditions that apply to most employees working in the particular industries to which they apply. The terms and conditions contained in awards are supplementary to those contained in the NES and employers need to ensure they arefamiliar with any awards that may apply to their employees.
Enterprise Agreements
Enterprise Agreements are agreements that contain the termsand conditions of a group of employees, usually employed by the same employer. Enterprise Agreements are negotiated between the employer and its employees,either directly or through bargaining representatives such as an employeeunion.
Individual Employment Contracts
An employer and an individual employee may also enter intoan individual employment contract. Contracted conditions are subject to the minimum employment standards provided under the NES, awards and enterprise agreements. Individual contracts will usually address additional terms and conditions to those contained in the NES plus applicable awardsor enterprise agreements. The terms and conditions that may be addressed include bonuses, salary sacrificing arrangements and restraints relating to after the employment period.
Potential Employment Claims
Unfair dismissal: the FW Act provides a mechanism for certainemployees to challenge the termination of their employment by claiming therehas been an ’unfair dismissal’ on the basis that the termination was harsh,unjust or unreasonable in the circumstances. If an employee is successful in bringing an unfair dismissal claim, they can be reinstated with full back payor may receive up to six months’ remuneration as compensation.
General protections: an employee may bring an action underthe general protection provision of the FW Act if the employer takes ‘adverseaction’ against the employee because they have a workplace right, have exerciseda workplace right or propose to exercise a workplace right. Adverse action claimscan also be commenced by prospective employees and independent contractors andare not limited to termination of employment or contract situations.
Discrimination: in addition to a general protections claimunder the FW Act, an employee may also bring a discrimination claim against their employer or former employer under federal or state anti-discrimination legislation.Such a claim will be successful if the employee has been treated less favourably than others because of, for instance, their age, race, religion, sex, sexual preferenceor the existence or perceived existence of a disability.
Other possible claims: claims can also exist for breach of theemployment contract or misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to the employmentunder the Federal Competition and Consumer Law Act.
WorkplaceHealth and Safety
Australia has a comprehensive workplace health and safety regime,which operates at the state level and requires employers to ensure the health, safetyand wellbeing of their employees and other people who attend the employer’s workplace.
Health and safety inspectors are given power to inspect any workplaceto ensure that the employer is complying with their workplace health and safety obligations. Breaches of workplace health and safety obligations expose employers,including directors and managerial staff, to prosecution. Fines of up to $1.6 million and imprisonment can be imposed.
Discrimination
In addition to the prohibition against discrimination underthe general protections provisions in the FW Act, there is anti- discrimination legislation at both the federal and state level that prohibits discrimination on prescribed grounds in relation to, for instance, recruitment, the terms and conditions of employment, dismissal of an employee and access to promotion and training opportunities. The grounds upon which a person may bring a discrimination claimare broad. As well as the more commonly litigated grounds of disability, age, sexand race, claims can also be brought for discrimination on the basis of national extraction, political opinion, gender identity, criminal records and medical records.
Superannuation
In accordance with the compulsory superannuation guarantee scheme that operates in Australia, an employer must make superannuation contributions for their employees. Under the 1992 Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act, all employers are required to make compulsory superannuation contributions (currently 9.25% of an employee’s ordinary time earnings, up to a maximum contribution base) to a complying superannuation fund. If an employer fails to make, or makes insufficient, contributions for an employee, the employer will incur a superannuation guarantee charge liability.
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【We provideexcellent, expert advice to businesses wishing to invest in Australia.】
The coming topicsinclude:
· Foreign Investment
· Tax
We will also bring you many more valuableinformation and news relevant to your investment in Australia in our laterrelease, such as:
· Background information of Australia, includingAustralian government, legal system, and business structures, etc.
· Laws and regulations in various common areas,including protection of technology and intellectual property, anti-trust andconsumer law, contract law, business migration, real property, publictakeovers, and electronic commerce etc.
