Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins today announced Professor Anthony Forsyth as the chair of the Andrews Labor Government’s inquiry into the labour hire industry and insecure work in Victoria.
Ms Hutchins also released the Terms of Reference for the inquiry, which will investigate the practices of rogue labour hire companies, insecure work, sham contracting and the abuse of visas to avoid workplace laws and undermine minimum employment standards.
Professor Forsyth currently teaches labour law and legal research at the RMIT University Graduate School of Business and Law, and is a consultant with the Corrs Chambers Westgarth Workplace Relations Group.
Professor Forsyth also recently completed a study of the Fair Work Commission’s role in enterprise bargaining and has contributed to a study of workplace dispute resolution for the International Labour Organization.
The inquiry will release a discussion paper in the coming weeks, and is calling for submissions from interested parties. The inquiry will include extensive public consultation, including meetings in regional and metropolitan Victoria.
The inquiry is due to deliver its report on 31 July 2016. For more information on the inquiry and its Terms of Reference, please visit
Quotes attributable to Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins
“Professor Forsyth has the experience and background to lead our inquiry into insecure work and the operation of the labour hire industry in Victoria.”
“We’re continuing to see allegations of the misuse and abuse of workers engaged by rogue labour hire companies. This inquiry will address how the labour hire industry can be better regulated, and how the rights of these workers can be better protected.”
“Most Victorian employers, from farmers to small business owners, are treating their workers properly. They shouldn’t face an uneven playing field because of those doing the wrong thing.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020