TRANSFORMATION OF AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
"TRANSFORMATION OF AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS"A major transformation in the structures and processes that underpin industrial relations arrangements in Australia appears to have occurred during the last 10 years or so. There has been a move away from reliance on third parties, instead encouraging employers and employees to reach agreements at the enterprise level. The Workplace Relations Act 1996, provided a regulatory framework for further transition from a centralised and regulated industrial relations system to a decentralised and deregulated one. While political forces have influenced the timing and pace of change, ultimately it has been the wider changes of information and communication technology, general globalisation, and the labour market that have driven the change. In an effort to juggle political, social and economic pressures the State continually intervenes in the form of industrial relations structures and processes. However, its complex of corporatist and enterprise solutions invariably contain the seed of tomorrow's problem.Unions have been slow to adapt to the changing industrial relations landscape. Trade union membership has fallen and is now concentrated in a handful of la
Although there has been a change in the administration bodies of industrial relations, it is important to recognise that this has not also seen a reduction in the intervention of the state, as evidenced in the Waterfront Dispute of 1998 (Wiseman, 1998). Increasing international competition is putting companies under greater pressure to adapt their organisational structures and production systems. The ACTU claims it has contributed to substantial gains for working people - regular pay increases, family payments, award changes to boost incomes and the establishment of career paths, parental leave and a host of other gains. The WRA has transformed the processes of control and administration of the employment relationship and the frontier of control has continued to move in favour of employers (Keenoy & Kelly, 2002). Introduction of the Howard government's WRA was to further encourage bargaining between the parties and continued the movement from a pluralist approach to a unitary approach for the employment relationship (Keenoy & Kelly, 2002). This has involved increased scope for both decentralised collective agreements, especially enterprise agreements (with or without union participation), and non-collective or AWAs (individual agreements). Deery, et al (2002) express similar concerns, noting there has been a decline in the number of 'standard' jobs, workers are working longer hours, and 'survivors' of a downsizing suffer negative effects. Casualising or sub-contracting out non-core functions reduces the core workforce to a relatively small team of highly skilled and valuable employees providing even greater levels of 'co-operative accommodation' and less desire for collective bargaining with union involvement. Declining Industrial Disputation ABS data indicates that since 1995 (post Accord) levels of industrial dispute have continued to remain subdued. A recent survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Management highlighted that whilst a stable remuneration environment prevailed, those working in the information technology industry experienced comparably higher salary increases over the past year and forecast the trend to continue for 2004/2005 (AIM, 2004). Falling Trade Union Membership Another sign of the changing nature of industrial relations systems in Australia has been the decline in the rate of trade union membership. However, Keenoy & Kelly (2002) caution, "Today's solution may contain the seed of tomorrow's problem". ASPECTS OF CHANGEThe Decentralisation of Formal Bargaining Structures Australian Labour Party (ALP) policies from 1983 to 1996, were intended to develop a less adversarial, enterprise-based system of labour relations and collective bargaining (Callus, 1997). From the perspective of trade unions at least, the amalgamation approach can now be assessed as having failed. Union members represented more than half the total workforce (not including employers and the self-employed) during the early-1980s.
Common topics in this essay:
Wooden Hawke,
Keenoy Kelly,
Successive Federal,
Relations Act,
Labour Markets,
Response Companies,
Party ALP,
Safety Net,
INTRODUCTION Economic,
Disputation ABS,
industrial relations,
employment relationship,
trade union,
kelly 2002,
union membership,
labour market,
keenoy kelly 2002,
keenoy kelly,
wooden hawke 2000,
et al,
deery et,
hawke 2000,
et al 2002,
deery et al,
trade union membership,
|
Acceptance Essays
