An independent review of the Albanese Government’s landmark Secure Jobs Better Pay reforms has found the new laws have successfully increased wages.

The review found early evidence that the hard-won reforms are achieving the federal government’s aim of lifting wages, improving job security and closing the gender pay gap.

The review found the reforms, introduced in 2022, have revived collective bargaining, and lifted the number of workers covered by them, resulting in overall wages starting to improve. Early trends also show progress in bridging the gender pay gap, with the reforms helping to increase wages in highly feminised sectors such as aged care, health care and childcare, among others

Reviewers dismissed claims from employer lobby groups that the reforms would have negative economic consequences, finding no evidence for them.

They concluded that the reforms were operating “appropriately and effectively and had ‘minimal unintended consequences.’

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the Coalition have sided with big business by voting against the reforms.

“The real wages growth that working people have finally experienced after over a decade of wage suppression is because of the reforms the Albanese Government made to workers’ rights,” ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said.

“The independent review shows that these reforms greatly contributed to getting wages moving. Imagine life for working people if they had to go through a period of high inflation, high interest rates and no real wage growth.

“The Government and the crossbench stared down the campaign by big business to stop workers getting better rights and pay rises.

“Working people will remember that the Coalition voted against Secure Jobs Better Pay and if given a chance they would repeal them.”