Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time. In other words, they voted in favour of a motion to agree with the main idea of the bill and can now discuss it in more detail.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bills digest, which is a document prepared by the parliamentary library:

The Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 (the Bill) would amend the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act) and related legislation to effect industrial relations changes. The key measures are:

• Expanding powers of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to deal with applications.
• Allowing the Commonwealth to preference employers with enterprise agreements for procurement and grants, and for other contractual purposes.

Some changes to the FWC’s powers would respond to the Federal Court decision in Coles Supply Chain Pty Ltd v Milford [2020] FCAFC 152 , so that the FWC is no longer required to determine whether a disputed dismissal actually occurred before conferencing or conciliation.

Other changes to the FWC’s powers would mean that the FWC could make vexatious proceeding orders, dismiss a wider range of matters, determine certain matters without hearings, and allow the FWC President to delegate more powers.

Limited exceptions to the prohibition of adverse action, coercion and discrimination under the FW Act would be made to allow the Commonwealth to preference employers with enterprise agreements in procurement, grant, and other contractual activities. This aspect of the Bill has attracted the most stakeholder comment.

At the time of writing, the Bill had not been referred to or reported on by any parliamentary committees.