ABCC calls for tenders - Sham contracting research
Potential researchers will have until 19 March 2012 to submit a tender application, with research expected to begin in mid-April.
ABC Commissioner Leigh Johns said this marks an important milestone following the release, in November last year, of the ABCC’s Sham Contracting Inquiry Report 2011.
“One of the Report’s ten recommendations was that the ABCC conduct research to build an accurate picture of sham contracting in the building and construction industry.
“We took the first step in this process in December 2011, establishing a ‘Sham Contracting Research Advisory Committee’ consisting of eight industry stakeholders and academics. The Advisory Committee has decided that in order to find out about the nature of sham contracting, we need to inquire into the nature of contracting for personal labour in the building and construction industry generally.
“The ABCC has today published the Request for Tender on AusTender and is calling on researchers to help us uncover the extent of sham contracting in the industry.
“The research will analyse how many contracting relationships are genuine, and how many are misclassifications – whether deliberate or unintentional.”
ABC Commissioner Johns said that he expected the research to identify the motivation and intentions of both parties, when defining an employment relationship.
“We want to identify what workers perceive are the benefits of being engaged on a contractual basis, rather than as an employee.”
ABC Commissioner Johns said once the research has identified the extent of sham contracting, the ABCC can move to eliminate it from the industry.
“Its continuing incidence hurts workers through a reduced capacity to enjoy basic conditions of employment, work security and access to formal training, and adversely affects decent employers, who face an invidious choice of either joining in the indecency of sham contracting or going out of business,” he said.
For more information on the Request for Tender, and to submit an application, visit the ausTENDERS website: www.tenders.gov.au
