Proposal to scrap electrical licences condemned

A recent submission to the federal government’s Employment White Paper has caused alarm within the Australian electrical industry.

The submission from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) controversially calls for the reduction of occupational licensing for electricians and plumbers, labelling both trades as ‘personal services’ that should have the same arrangements as taxi drivers and driving instructors.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has condemned CEDA’s proposal, which the union says will lead to the scrapping of crucial safety checks that protect workers and the public.

“The suggestion that we should scrap licensing in electrical trades is a dangerous thought bubble that needs to be rejected outright,” ETU Acting National Secretary Michael Wright said.

“A skilled workforce performing important safety checks are the backbone of Australia’s licensing systems. It’s no accident that Australia has one of the lowest rates of household electrical fires in the Western world — it’s because we have amongst the highest standards in training for our electrical workers.

“Using the combustible cladding debacle to suggest electrical and plumbing licensing doesn’t work is ridiculous. Winding back safety regulations is a recipe for disaster which puts all of us at risk.

“We’re calling on the federal government to rule out watering down safety standards for electrical trades.”

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) also warned against CEDA’s recommendation.

“Electrical work can be extremely dangerous and must only be done by a licensed electrician,” said NECA CEO Oliver Judd.

“While NECA supports sensible policies, such as mutual recognition of licences between states, it is ridiculous to suggest that electricians simply provide a ‘personal service’ which doesn’t require extensive training and rigorous licensing.

“Electricians spend four years training to become competent in their trade and to gain their licence to perform electrical work, with many undertaking further post-trade training to enhance their skills. Reducing licensing standards for electricians would put lives at risk and would lead to a race to the bottom in quality and standards. Working with electricity can be very dangerous, causing death and serious injury to Australians each year, and must only be done by licensed electricians.”

CEDA has also called for the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registration scheme to be extended across all states. This would mean any electrical worker could work in any state or jurisdiction automatically, without undergoing simple but important safety and verification checks, the ETU said.

“Moving to automatic mutual recognition will erode safety standards and checks which are absolutely crucial for high-risk jobs like electricians,” Wright said.

“What we need is a national licensing system so that we can align the significant differences between states. Automatic mutual recognition exposes workers to massive liability if they fail to understand legal requirements in different jurisdictions.”

Additionally, CEDA wants to review all licensing regulations to see whether online reviews could be used by consumers to assess quality. Licensing would be reduced and the focus shifted towards quality standards under consumer law.

“Safety laws are there for a reason. Any attempt to give consumer law primacy over legislation which is written to save lives is madness,” Wright said.

Judd emphasised that qualifications and training required in Australia are “quite specific and unique”.

“Whilst NECA supports skilled migration, it can only occur under strict licensing and assessment criteria. We must ensure the safety of the community and guarantee our homes and buildings are safe and secure,” Judd said.

“Every day we hear stories of the dangerous work done by people without a licence. As well as putting lives in danger, this undermines confidence in hardworking licensed tradespeople who are qualified to work safely. This report risks exacerbating that trend and misleading the public to believe that anyone can do electrical work, which is simply wrong.”

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