The ACT government will assess the ethics credentials of companies and suppliers vying for government contracts under new procurement guidelines designed to protect workers' rights.
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Potential suppliers for open tenders worth $200,000 or more will undergo an ethical treatment of workers assessment from February 2022, which includes criteria to assess whether employment and safety outcomes for workers will be protected.
Special Minister of State Chris Steel said the assessment would ensure a level playing field for businesses that would prevent ethical firms from being undercut by unscrupulous operators.
"We want Canberra to be a place where good jobs are available for everyone. Strengthening our procurement framework is an important way to ensure the ACT government is only doing business with companies that do the right thing by their workers," Mr Steel said.
"This is especially important as we continue to make record investments in infrastructure through our local construction sector, to ensure that both workers and companies benefit from this investment."
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Industrial Relations Minister Mick Gentleman said the government was acting on a recommendation from a 2020 review of the secure local jobs code, which called on the government to establish a two-step process to assess suppliers.
"This will support local businesses that do the right thing, while giving other companies a strong incentive to improve their practices to deliver fairer and safer workplaces across the territory," Mr Gentleman said.
Construction, security, cleaning and traffic companies who tender for ACT government work must hold a secure local jobs code certificate, which requires them to be audited at least every 18 months to ensure they have not underpaid their staff.
The companies also have to comply with a code, which requires them to hand over addresses, working hours and contact details associated with the work to a Secure Local Jobs registrar, so unions can exercise their right of entry.
Employers also have to give new employees union membership forms to be code-compliant.
The secure local jobs code came into force in January 2019.
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