Media Releases April 2020

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI®) dropped by 17.9 points to 35.8 in April, recording the largest month-to-month fall in the 28 year history of the index as Australian manufacturing contracted at its worst pace since April 2009 (readings below 50 points indicate contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the decrease).

"Welcome talk of restarting NZ-Australia air travel raises the obvious question of why can't we reopen the borders between our own states immediately and take down the inconsistent and overly-cautious cross-border barriers," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) is very disappointed with the decision of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to reject a practical and sensible set of amendments to the Professional Employees Award jointly proposed by Ai Group and Professionals Australia – the main industrial parties representing employers and employees covered by the Award," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"The Australian Industry Group, on behalf of Victorian industry, is deeply saddened and expresses our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the Victorian police who lost their lives last night," Tim Piper, the Head of Ai Group Victoria said today.

"Victorian businesses have called on the State Government not to impose payroll tax and workers' compensation costs on businesses for top-up components of the JobKeeper allowance paid by the Federal Government," Tim Piper, the Victorian Head of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"To enable the Australian economy to successfully navigate out of the current crisis, increased workplace flexibility is essential," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"The announcement by the Victorian Government to financially support the State's TAFE and public training system during this crisis will help ensure the training sector will be there ready to teach the skills needed by industry when the economy eventually returns to normal levels of activity," Tim Piper, Victorian Head of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"Some employees appear to have a misguided view that they can choose not to come to work if their employer is accessing the JobKeeper scheme. If the employee is not stood down or on approved or authorised leave, the employee must comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by their employer. This includes any reasonable and safe direction to carry out work," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"A new regulation made today by the Australian Government will assist employers and employees to vary enterprise agreements during the COVID-19 crisis. Many enterprise agreements were reached in better times and contain provisions which are impeding businesses in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Where changes to an enterprise agreement are agreed upon between the employer and the employees, the new regulation will enable the changes to be implemented without delay," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"The decision by the NSW Government to waive up to $50 million worth of licence fees for 200,000 licence holders in the trades and construction sectors is a great example of a meaningful response by the NSW Government to support a key sector of the economy during the current crisis," Mark Goodsell, the NSW head of the national employer association, Ai Group, said today.