The Australian Hotels Association will be responsible for ushering the country's employment laws into a new era after being selected by the federal government to assist with the overhaul of the industrial relations system.

Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison commissioned Federal Attorney General and Minister of Industrial Relations, the Hon Christian Porter MP to Chair 5 Working Groups to cover Award simplification; Enterprise agreement making; Casual and fixed-term employment; Greenfields projects; and Compliance and enforcement.

The AHA has been appointed to the Award Simplification and Compliance and Enforcement Working Groups, with National CEO Stephen Ferguson to represent the association on the Award Simplification Working Group while Philip Ryan, (AHA Director Legal and Industrial Affairs) will attend the Compliance and Enforcement Working Group.

At a glance:  

• The Australian Hotels Association has been chosen by the federal governent to help with an overhaul of the industrial relations system.
• The AHA has been appointed to the Award Simplification and Compliance and Enforcement Working Groups.
• Most recently, the AHA worked collaboratively with the United Workers Union to change the Hospitality Award in response to the COVID-19 crisis, increasing flexibility for employers and employees.

Mr Ferguson said having Australia’s peak hospitality and accommodation industry body as the lead organisation for the sector was a unique opportunity to reform Australia’s employment law system.

“For decades the AHA, and its subsidiary Tourism Accommodation Australia, has shown itself to be the sector’s leader as a progressive and pragmatic peak industry organisation when it comes to industrial relations,” he said.

“On behalf of our membership and the more than 1,000,000 people working in the hospitality and tourism industry, we welcome the opportunity to contribute to a process that may deliver the most meaningful reform in decades.”

“With much of our industry’s workforce employed under the Hospitality Award, the AHA is heavily invested in ensuring we get this right, for the long-term benefit of employers, employees and the broader economy.”

As the lead employer group for the Hospitality Award in the Fair Work Commission, the AHA has worked collaboratively with the United Workers Union to change the Hospitality Award in response to the COVID-19 crisis, increasing flexibility for employers and employees.

The association also secured a “flexible part time” provision in the Hospitality Award designed to move casual employees to more secure part time employment.

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