The laws not only simplify bargaining, but also put an end to exploitative job ads promoting work for less than the legal minimum, and stop pay secrecy clauses.
They will also put gender pay equity into the Fair Work Act.
The legislation was amended several times and was the object of fierce debates that kept both houses of Parliament busy for weeks.
Independents David Pocock and Zali Steggall eventually supported the bill after winning some amendments.
But even with amendments, the bill did not win everyone's approval.
Independent M-P Allegra Spender said she wouldn't vote in favour, despite what she thought were positive changes.
I'm not gonna support this bill, although I think it's in a much better place than it was originally. And the reason why I am not going to do this is because I think we could have achieved more had we made the multi employer bargaining piece opt- in for business and then reviewed that in a year, if it hadn't make the impact on wages that we had hoped.
