Industrial relations bill passes the lower house

The Federal Government's industrial relations bill has passed the lower house of Parliament, and is now headed for the Senate, where it will need crossbench support. But with just two sitting weeks left in this year's parliamentary calendar, Labor's plans to legislate a bill for an anti-corruption watchdog this year are looking more likely.

Australian Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke after the passing of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment Bill Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH

The government's Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill was always going to pass the House of Representatives.

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Burke, addressed childcare workers outside the Parliament following the bill's passage.

"So much of this started with yourselves. And you know, you had been left behind in bargaining, and you had provided the example particularly in Victoria of saying that feminised industries can still if they work together, find ways to get better pay and lift themselves (indecipherable).  "

The Opposition remains staunchly against the legislation.

The Coalition's Paul Fletcher told the Parliament the bill risked returning Australia to the 1970s, with widespread union strikes and an unproductive economy.

"This is a very bad bill. Taking the Australian economy and our community backwards. Extraordinarily you would have thought it was hard to achieve but extraordinarily the amendments make a bad situation worse and the Opposition will be opposing the amendments as we opposed the bill."

Crossbenchers tried to move amendments on one the bill's most contentious aspects, multi-employer bargaining.

But Labor was not budging, and the bill ultimately passed, 80 votes to 56. The legislation will now go to the upper house, where A-C-T Independent Senator David Pocock will be a key swing voter.