Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T00:35:09.362Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Liberal-National Parties’ Industrial Relations Policy: Deregulation by Providing an Enterprise Focus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

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.

The central objective of the Opposition’s industrial relations policy is to provide an enterprise focus to the current industrial relations system. Deregulation will be achieved by introducing voluntary unionism and creating an alternative industrial relations stream of enterprise-based voluntary agreements alongside the existing system. The new agreements will have the status of awards but will not be within the purview of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC). Over time, the alternative, deregulated system would become the predominant one as employers recognised its benefits and opted out of the centralised system. Greater flexibility would lead to greater productivity without the problem of wage break-outs.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1990

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (August 1988), Cat. No. 6325.0, Trade Union Members — Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Council of Trade Unions (1987), Future Strategies for the Trade Union Movement, ACTU, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Bureau of Industry Economics (1990), Microeconomic Reform and the Structure of Industry, AGPS, Canberra.Google Scholar
Blandy, R, Brummit, W (1990), Labour Productivity and Living Standards, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.Google Scholar
Blandy, R, Sloan, J (1988), Escape from the Banana Republic: Labour Market Reforms, Paper prepared for the Office of the Economic Planning Advisory Council.Google Scholar
Business Council of Australia (1989), Enterprise-Based Bargaining Units: A Better Way of Working, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Gilbert, W L (1986), “The Queensland Power Dispute, in Arbitration in Contempt”, Proceedings of the H R Nicholls Society, H R Nicholls Society, Melbourne, 1986.Google Scholar
McDonald, T, Rimmer, M (1988), “Award Structure and the Second Tier”, Australian Bulletin of Labour, Vol 14, No 3.Google Scholar
Roy Morgan Research Centre, The Role of Trade Unions and Employers in Australia, A Special Research Poll Conducted for the Nine Network, September-October 1989.Google Scholar
OECD (1990), OECD Economic Surveys 1989/990: Australia, Paris.Google Scholar
Plowman, D (1990), “Award Restructuring: Possibilities and Portents”, The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Vol 1, No 1.Google Scholar
Rimmer, M (1989), “Enterprise and Industry Awards”, in Enterprise-Based Bargaining Units: A Better Way of Working, Business Council of Australia, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Savery, L, Soutar, G., “Community Attitudes Towards Trade Union Effectiveness”, The Australian Bulletin of Labour, Vol 16, No 2.Google Scholar
Sloan, J (1990), The “Opting Out from Within” Approach to Labour Market Flexibility Policy, Spring 1990, Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney.Google Scholar