While the Labor party’s Fair Work Act 2009 has improved respect for trade union rights, problematic areas remain. Freedom of association
freedom of association
The right to form and join the trade union of one’s choosing as well as the right of unions to operate freely and carry out their activities without undue interference.
See Guide to the ITUC international trade union rights framework
is guaranteed for both private and public sector workers; however, employers can seek ‘representation orders’ in the workplace tribunal, which can dictate which classes of employee the union can (or cannot) represent.
The right to collective bargaining
collective bargaining
The process of negotiating mutually acceptable terms and conditions of employment as well as regulating industrial relations between one or more workers’ representatives, trade unions, or trade union centres on the one hand and an employer, a group of employers or one or more employers’ organisations on the other.
See collective bargaining agreement
is provided for, but is mostly limited to enterprise-level bargaining, and certain terms (such as clauses banning the use of contract or replacement labour) cannot be included in agreements.
The right to strike
strike
The most common form of industrial action, a strike is a concerted stoppage of work by employees for a limited period of time. Can assume a wide variety of forms.
See general strike, intermittent strike, rotating strike, sit-down strike, sympathy strike, wildcat strike
is limited, as lawful industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
can only be taken during the process of bargaining for a collective agreement, cannot be taken at the sectoral or national level, and sympathy strikes/secondary boycotts are banned. Even lawful industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
can be stopped by the workplace tribunal, on the application of employers or governments, in a range of circumstances (such as where a strike
strike
The most common form of industrial action, a strike is a concerted stoppage of work by employees for a limited period of time. Can assume a wide variety of forms.
See general strike, intermittent strike, rotating strike, sit-down strike, sympathy strike, wildcat strike
is causing significant harm to both parties, or to a third party).
Finally, separate and punitive laws continue to apply to workers and unions in the building and construction industry.
In practice, many employers (particularly in the mining sector) do their best to frustrate trade union activity. Examples include employer refusals to transport union officials to remote sites to meet with workers, refusals to bargain collectively until the union can demonstrate it has majority support in the workplace, refusal to allow union delegates to undertake union activity in the workplace during working time.
In many industries, harassment and victimisation of union members and delegates occurs, but it is often difficult to prove an anti-union motive in court. One exception is the recent case of Barclay v Bendigo TAFE, where a union delegate was disciplined for sending emails to staff that were critical of the University. The University claimed it was simply responding to action that was ‘contrary to University policy’, but the court found an anti-union motive existed. Unfortunately, this decision has been appealed by the employer to the High Court.
Industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
by workers was stopped at the behest of employers or governments in a number of cases. In one case, Qantas responded to low-level industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
by a small group of workers by grounding its entire fleet and locking its workers out. The federal government applied to the workplace tribunal to stop both sides’ action and refer the dispute to arbitration
arbitration
A means of resolving disputes outside the courts through the involvement of a neutral third party, which can either be a single arbitrator or an arbitration board. In non-binding arbitration, the disputing parties are free to reject the third party’s recommendation, whilst in binding arbitration they are bound by its decision. Compulsory arbitration denotes the process where arbitration is not voluntarily entered into by the parties, but is prescribed by law or decided by the authorities.
See conciliation, mediation
, which it did. In another case, the Victorian state government applied to the tribunal to stop industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
by 32,000 public servants, on the grounds that the welfare of children would be harmed if 1,500 child protection workers did not return to work. The tribunal stopped the industrial action
industrial action
Any form of action taken by a group of workers, a union or an employer during an industrial dispute to gain concessions from the other party, e.g. a strike, go-slow or an overtime ban, or a lockout on the part of the employer.
and referred the matter to arbitration
arbitration
A means of resolving disputes outside the courts through the involvement of a neutral third party, which can either be a single arbitrator or an arbitration board. In non-binding arbitration, the disputing parties are free to reject the third party’s recommendation, whilst in binding arbitration they are bound by its decision. Compulsory arbitration denotes the process where arbitration is not voluntarily entered into by the parties, but is prescribed by law or decided by the authorities.
See conciliation, mediation
.
These decisions abridged workers’ rights to strike
strike
The most common form of industrial action, a strike is a concerted stoppage of work by employees for a limited period of time. Can assume a wide variety of forms.
See general strike, intermittent strike, rotating strike, sit-down strike, sympathy strike, wildcat strike
, and the ensuing arbitration
arbitration
A means of resolving disputes outside the courts through the involvement of a neutral third party, which can either be a single arbitrator or an arbitration board. In non-binding arbitration, the disputing parties are free to reject the third party’s recommendation, whilst in binding arbitration they are bound by its decision. Compulsory arbitration denotes the process where arbitration is not voluntarily entered into by the parties, but is prescribed by law or decided by the authorities.
See conciliation, mediation
is unlikely to deliver outcomes that are favourable to the workers.