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The Changing Face of Australian Industrial Relations: A Survey

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  • ANNE HAWKE
  • MARK WOODEN

Abstract

In 1994 David Metcalf, writing about Britain, reached the following conclusion: ‘There can be no doubt that the institutions and processes of British industrial relations has [sic] changed fundamentally in the last decade or so’ (Metcalf 1994, p. 152). This description seems perfectly apt in describing recent change in Australia. The spread of enterprise agreements, the increased scope for individual agreements, the marked fall in trade union membership, the restructuring and rationalization of trade union structures, and the dramatic fall in levels of industrial action and persistence of relative industrial peace have all been relatively recent phenomena and mark the last 10 to 15 years as a period of significant change, certainly as compared with the relative stability of the industrial relations institutions throughout most of this century. Despite this, whether the volume and nature of change experienced to date can be judged as transformational is still questionable. The Commission, for example, despite legislative change designed to limit its influence, continues to act as an arbiter of national and award‐based minima in pay and conditions and as a means of conciliation and arbitration. Furthermore, while the introduction of enterprise and individual agreements within the awards system is a significant change, it does not yet constitute a break with past centralized practices since agreements remain subject to approval by either the Commission or the newly formed Office of the Employment Advocate. Moreover, it is not clear that enterprise agreements are necessarily delivering outcomes that are greatly different from that which would have been delivered in their absence, either through awards or through over‐award bargaining. Only the changed role of the trade union movement can clearly be judged as transformational. Even the most die‐hard unionists have long since given up hoping that the downward trend in union membership might be reversed. The best they can hope for is that the haemorrhage is staunched.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne Hawke & Mark Wooden, 1998. "The Changing Face of Australian Industrial Relations: A Survey," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 74(224), pages 74-88, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:74:y:1998:i:224:p:74-88
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.1998.tb01905.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hawke, Anne & Wooden, Mark, 1998. "Industrial relations reform in Australia: implications for the agricultural and mining sectors," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 42(3), pages 1-17.
    2. Yi-Ping Tseng & Mark Wooden, 2001. "Enterprise Bargaining and Productivity: Evidence from the Business Longitudinal Survey," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2001n08, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    3. Joanne Loundes & Yi‐Ping Tseng & Mark Wooden, 2003. "Enterprise Bargaining and Productivity in Australia: What do We Know?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(245), pages 245-258, June.
    4. Robert Drago & David Black & Mark Wooden, 2005. "The Persistence of Long Work Hours," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2005n12, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    5. Matthew Gray & Jacqueline Tudball, 2004. "Family-friendly work practices: differences within and between workplaces," Labor and Demography 0405003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Kristy Eastough & Paul W. Miller, 2004. "The Gender Wage Gap in Paid‐ and Self‐Employment in Australia," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 257-276, September.
    7. Mark Wooden, 2001. "Union Wage Effects in the Presence of Enterprise Bargaining," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 77(236), pages 1-18, March.
    8. Andrea Bassanini & Romain Duval, 2006. "The Determinants of Unemployment across OECD Countries," Post-Print halshs-00120584, HAL.
    9. Mark Wooden, 2001. "How Temporary are Australia's Casual Jobs?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 15(4), pages 875-883, December.
    10. Derek Bosworth & Joanne Loundes, 2002. "The Dynamic Performance of Australian Enterprises," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2002n03, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    11. Robert Drago & Rosanna Scutella & Amy Varner, 2002. "Work and Family Directions in the US and Australia: A Policy Research Agenda," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2002n12, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    12. Tim R.L. Fry & Kelly Jarvis & Joanne Loundes, 2002. "Are Pro-Reformers Better Performers?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2002n18, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    13. Richard Cooney, 2010. "Workplace training in a deregulated training system: Experiences from Australia’s automotive industry," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 31(3), pages 389-403, August.
    14. Dr Sukhan Jackson & Helen Higgs & Glenda Cooper, 2002. "Determinants Of Unionisation For Part-Time Women Employees In Australian Banks," Discussion Papers Series 317, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    15. Gaston, N., 2000. "Unions and the Decentralisation of Collective Bargaining in a Globalising World," ISER Discussion Paper 0495, Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of Osaka.
    16. Drago, Robert & Black, David & Wooden, Mark, 2005. "The Existence and Persistence of Long Work Hours," IZA Discussion Papers 1720, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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