Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-30T19:10:18.934Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Individual Contracts What Do They Mean for Australia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Jonathan Hamberger
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Collective bargaining can be of benefit to both employees and employers. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in individual contracts, as part of a broader agenda for labour market flexibility. In particular, individual contracts are being pursued by some companies as part of a human resource management strategy to increase productivity by reducing the role of third parties and promoting ‘common purpose’ between the firm and its employees. There is some evidence that individual contracts can indeed contribute to higher productivity. The challenge for policy makers is to provide sufficient flexibility in the area of individual contracts while preventing employers from using them to reduce wages and conditions.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , December 1995 , pp. 288 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1995

Footnotes

*

This paper was written while Jonathan Hamberger was a Research Associate at the Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Teaching, University of Sydney.

References

Notes

1. Cordova, E., ‘Collective Bargaining’ in Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialised Market Economies, Blanpain, R. (ed), Deventer: Kluwer, 1990.Google Scholar

2. Webb S and Webb B, Industrial Democracy, 1897.

3. Creighton, Ford, Mitchell, Labour Law, Law Book Co. 1983.

4. A. Fox, Man Mismanagement, Hutchinson 1974.

5. Freeman, R. and Medoff, J., What Do Unions Do? Basic Books 1984.Google Scholar

6. P. Barratt, Executive Director, Business Council of Australia, Weekend Australian, 7-8 January 1995.

7. P. Barratt op cit.

8. J. Giudice transcript C No 20166 of 1994 p.92 20 November 1995.

9. A. Fox op cit.

10. D. James, The Intellectual Muscle Behind CRA’s Management Style, Business Review Weekly, 9 October 1995.

11. Reported in F.G. Hilmer et al, Working Relations: A Fresh Start for Australian Enterprises, BCA Employee Relations Study Commission, The Business Library 1993.

12. Small Business Index A Special Report on Industrial Relations and the New National Training Wage, Yellow Pages Australia, September 1994.

13. Reported in McAndrew, I., The Process of Developing Employment Contracts: A Management Perspective in Harbridge, R. (ed), Employment Contracts: New Zealand Experiences, Wellington NZ: Victoria University Press 1993.Google Scholar

14. Survey conducted by Heylen Research Centre for NZ Department of Labour reported in Whatman, R., Armitage, C., and Dunbar, R., ‘Labour Market Adjustment Under the Employment Contracts Act’, New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, 19(1) April 1994.Google Scholar

15. I. McAndrew 1993 op. cit.

16. I. McAndrew 1993 op. cit.

17. McAndrew, I. and Ballard, M. ‘Negotiation and Dictation in Employment Contract Formation in N.Z., New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations, 20 (2) August 1995.Google Scholar

18. Whatman et al. op. cit.

19. S. Fernie and D. Metcalf, Participation, Contingent Pay, Representation and Workplace Performance: Evidence from Great Britain, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No 232 April 1995.

20. Parcels, J., The Challenge of Human Resource Management for Industrial Relations Research and Practice, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol 4 (3) September 1993.Google Scholar