The new laws under the Fair Work Amendment (Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry) Bill 2011 passed into law last month, have begun affecting the Australian fashion industry.
The Bill is aimed at protecting outworkers, also called homeworkers, from exploitation. An important aspect of the definition of an outworker is that the work is done outside the premises of the employer, either as a labour hire or on a fixed-term contract.
The new law mandates that companies employing outworkers should provide at least 20 hours of work per week.
Fashion label Myrtle and Dove said the new law makes it difficult for the label to hire local seamstresses for cutting jobs.
The fashion house normally gives 30 apparels a week to cut, which is a two-hour job, to outworkers. It will not be possible for it to provide 20 hours of work per week, as mandated by the new law, it said.
Fashion designers in Australia are now worried that the changes in work rules brought about by the new law may lead to collapse of domestic fashion industry and force jobs overseas.
To bring the issue to limelight, a page called 'Save the Australian Fashion Industry' has been launched on social website Facebook.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
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