In June changes to the NSW Industrial Relations Act strengthening work, health and safety laws have passed Parliament. NSW workers have won the biggest increase in working rights in over 30 years.

The passing of the Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment (Workplace Protections) Bill 2025 is a significant win for New South Wales workers and is a direct result of the NSW union movement’s campaigning and advocating for the interests of public and private sector workers in NSW. Campaigning that could not happen without the ongoing support of members like you – giving our movement strength and power. 

The rights and conditions won are the most significant increase in industrial rights for workers in NSW in over 30 years.

Despite some recent issues the union movement have had with the NSW Government, without the work of the Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis, the Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and the Premier Chris Minns this legislation would not have passed. We also acknowledge the work of the cross bench including the steadfast support from Abigail Boyd (the Greens) and the ongoing support for the NSW union movement from Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party) and Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party).

WHAT WE HAVE WON:

  1. Enshrining Gender Equity and safer workplaces in local government and the NSW public sector: The Industrial Relations Act will include gender equity and stopping bullying and sexual harassment as core objectives—ensuring public sector workplaces deliver fairer pay, conditions, and safer workplaces for women.
  2. New enforceable workplace safety rights: Workers will have stronger tools to hold employers accountable for unsafe workplaces. The Bill makes it mandatory to meet or exceed safety codes of practice, expands union right of entry powers to inspect and collect evidence of unsafe workplaces, and allows for employers to be prosecuted for unsafe workplaces.
  3. New powers to stop workplace bullying & harassment: Public sector and local government workers will have a new legally enforceable process for public sector and local government workers to seek orders through the IRC to stop bullying and sexual harassment, with penalties for employers who fail to act.
  4. Supporting injured workers to return to work safely: Injured workers will have new rights to dispute being forced to return to work when it is unsafe to do so – giving them a stronger path to enforce fair treatment after injury.
  5. New Accountability for the Work Health and Safety Regulator: Workers and unions will have new powers to hold the workplace safety regulator to account to ensure they uphold their responsibility to enforce safe working conditions.