The Albanese Labor GovernmentÕs first landmark Industrial Relations package was the subject of intense attack from business lobby groups and the Coalition.
It came down to the views of minor-party Senators as to whether the legislation should pass relatively unimpeded.
A lobbying campaign put our members in front of key Senators to speak to the benefits of reforms including bargaining across multiple employers, addressing gender pay gaps and ending zombie agreements.
One of those members, hospital cleaner Ben Lawton, had met key ACT Senator David Pocock during the lobbying, and told his story publicly about his wages being so low.
When Pocock published a piece about why he supported the legislation, he raised the issues facing Ben when he wrote: ÒIÕm not going to apologise for pushing for a pay rise for workers in a cost-of-living crisis as well as a pathway to stop the most vulnerable in our community being left behind.