Submission to Inquiry into the Digital Transformation of Workplaces
01 July 2024
Technological change in Australia continues at a rapid pace. The ongoing digital revolution is changing work, providing new ways to manage and improve workplace safety and improve job quality. These current and emerging technologies can increase productivity, providing the basis for sustainable wage increases and a higher-paid Australian workforce. If we want sustained wage growth and to maintain full employment, we need a reinvigorated economic growth agenda driven by large-scale investment, higher productivity and greater innovation. Implementing and developing workplace digital technologies is one element of achieving this goal.
The terms of reference for this Inquiry are to inquire into and report on the rapid development and uptake of automated decision- making and machine learning techniques in the workplace, with regard to several aspects of the workplace relationship.
This submission looks at how digital technologies impact Australian workplaces and addresses subsequent considerations for the workplace relations system. It demonstrates how these technologies can and are being applied within Australian workplaces to enhance productivity and outlines how potential risks and challenges can be addressed, including within Australia’s existing regulatory framework, first and foremost. Our submission addresses the terms of reference most relevant to our members and our key recommendations are below.
Read our full submission here.