The Struggle to Regulate Precarious Work Arrangements to Minimize Their Adverse Effects on Health and Safety in Australia

Abstract

As in other countries, the growth of precarious work arrangements in Australia from the late 1970s has had significant adverse effects on occupational health and safety (OHS). While there is now a large body of global research on this issue and its connection to the rise of neoliberalism, there has been less investigation of efforts to address these problems. This article reviews regulatory interventions in Australia over the past two decades. It particularly focuses on industrial relations regulation, which can play a critical role in addressing at least some of the underlying reasons why precarious work undermines OHS. The most significant of these changes were passed by the Australian Parliament in February 2024, including a highly controversial but world-leading creation of minimum standards for platform workers.