The Fair Work Act 2009 (FWA) created the Fair Work system, which consists of minimum employment laws and organisations that cover most workplaces in Australia. The Fair Work system governs minimum National Employment Standards, the awards that apply for specific industries and occupations; the national minimum wage, and provides protection from unfair dismissal.
The Fair Work Act outlines what employers cannot do to employees, as well as the obligations that employers have to improve working conditions under certain circumstances.
The Fair Work Commission, Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, can exercise a number of functions under the Fair Work Act 2009. For example, workers who feel they have not received protections under the Act, or feel they have been unfairly dismissed, may lodge an application to the Commission for review.