澳大利亚工党政府在全国代表大会上宣布将建立新的联邦公平工作法院，以解决当前工资追讨程序复杂、耗时且成本高昂的问题[1]。总理阿尔巴尼斯指出"仍有太多最弱势的工人在这个国家遭到非法压低工资"[1]，新法院旨在为易受伤害的工人提供更快、更公平的工作场所纠纷解决方案[1]。工作和工作场所关系部长阿曼达·里什沃思表示，新法院是"确保维护工作场所法律和权利的更有效、更高效的方式"[1]。
政府已推进多项相关改革。意图"工资盗窃"已成为刑事犯罪超过18个月[1]，现有小额索赔程序上限也从2万澳元提高到10万澳元[1]。政府计划在年底前就法院设计细节进行咨询，包括其与现有机构的协调方式[1]。工会对这一专门法院的提议表示欢迎[1]。
Australia's Labor government has announced plans to establish a new federal Fair Work Court, aiming to provide faster and fairer resolution of workplace disputes. The proposal was revealed at the party's national conference as a response to the current complexity, expense, and time-consuming nature of pursuing unpaid wages, particularly for vulnerable workers.[1]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that "there are still too many of the most vulnerable workers in this country being ripped off illegally," underscoring the government's commitment to tackling workplace violations.[1] Wage theft has been a criminal offense for over 18 months.[1] The government plans to consult on the court's design details and coordination with existing institutions before the end of the year.[1]
The proposed court represents a significant development in Australia's employment law infrastructure. Small claims procedures will have their threshold raised from 20,000 Australian dollars to 100,000 Australian dollars.[1] Minister for Work and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth described the new court as "a more effective and efficient way of ensuring that workplace laws and rights are upheld."[1] Unions have welcomed the prospect of a specialized court dedicated to workplace matters.[1]
