25th May 2023, 10:42 AM – Representatives Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Bill 2023 - Report from Federation Chamber - Union fees

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with amendment (8), which was introduced by Bradfield MP Paul Fletcher (Liberal). This means it failed.

Amendment text

Mr Fletcher explained that:

The effect of this amendment would be to protect workers from being put into a position where higher payments could be automatically deducted without their knowledge and would instead require the employee to specify in writing if the employee agreed to an increase, before the increase was deducted. It is somewhat mystifying that the government has chosen to put into this bill a provision that would essentially allow unions to charge higher fees without a member of the union giving express agreement to that.

Amendment text

(8) Schedule 5, page 22 (after line 25), at the end of the Schedule, add:

4 At the end of section 324

Add:

(4) If the deductions are for amounts as varied from time to time, any variation that increases the amount of one or more of the deductions must be authorised in writing by the employee.