Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T04:23:16.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Protected Industrial Action and Voluntary Collective Bargaining under the Fair Work Act 2009

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Shae McCrystal
Shae McCrystal*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Sydney
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.

This article explores the enactment of a right to strike in the Australian federal industrial relations system in order to ascertain what the legislation reveals about the commitment of successive federal governments to the principles of voluntary collective bargaining. The article reflects briefly on Australia’s international obligations to respect the right to strike under ILO and UN Conventions before outlining the main features of protected industrial action under the federal system from 1993 through to the passage of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). The discussion reveals that the right to strike in Australia is very limited, particularly with respect to the content and level of agreement making that may be supported by protected industrial action. Focusing on multi-enterprise agreement making in particular, the article concludes that the current legislative regime does not permit industrial parties to determine their own industrial agendas and support those agendas through protected industrial action.

Keywords

Australian industrial lawFair Work Actlabour rightsmulti-employer collective bargainingprotected industrial actionright to strike
Type
Symposium: Assessing the Fair Work Act
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , October 2010 , pp. 37 - 52
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2010

References

AIRC (2004–2005), Annual Report of the President of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and Annual Report of the Australian Industrial Registry, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.Google Scholar
Anderson, G. (1997) ‘Implementing collective bargaining policy through restriction of the right to strike’, in Mitchell, R. and Min Aun Wu, J. (eds) Facing the Challenge in the Asia Pacific Region: Contemporary Themes and Issues in Labour Law, CELRL, University of Melbourne, Parkville, pp. 157–169.Google Scholar
Briggs, C. (2005) ‘Lockout law in a comparative perspective: Corporatism, pluralism and neo-liberalism’, International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations 21 (3), pp. 481–502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Briggs, C. (2007) ‘Lockout law in Australia: The case for reform’, Journal of Industrial Relations, 49 (2), pp 167–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, R. and Ellem, B. (2008) ‘The neoliberal state, trade unions and collective bargaining in Australia’, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 46 (3), pp. 532–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creighton, B. and Stewart, A. (2000) Labour Law: An Introduction, Federation Press, Sydney, Third edition.Google Scholar
Creighton, B. and Stewart, A. (2005) Labour Law, Federation Press, Sydney, Fourth edition.Google Scholar
Creighton, B. (1998) ‘The ILO and the protection of fundamental human rights in Australia’, Melbourne University Law Review, 22 (2), pp. 239–280.Google Scholar
Creighton, B. (2007) ‘Freedom of association’ in Blanplain, R. (ed.) Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations In Industrialized Market Economies, Kluwer Law International, The Hague, Ninth edition, pp. 275–322.Google Scholar
Ellem, B. (2000) ‘Trade unionism in 1999’, Journal of Industrial Relations, 42 (1), pp. 59–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellem, B. (2001) ‘Trade unionism in 2000’, Journal of Industrial Relations 43 (2), pp. 196–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ewing, K. (1989) ‘The right to strike in Australia’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 2 (1), pp. 18–39.Google Scholar
Ewing, K. (2004) ‘Laws against strikes revisited’ in Barnard, C., Deakin, S. and Morris, G. (eds) The Future of Labour Law, Hart Publishing, Oxford, pp. 41–62.Google Scholar
Ewing, K. (2008) ‘Future prospects for labour law — lessons from the UK’ in Riley, J. and Sheldon, P. (eds) Remaking Australian Industrial Relations, CCH Australia, Sydney, pp. 197–206.Google Scholar
Forsyth, A. and Stewart, A. (eds) (2009), Fair Work: The New Workplace Laws and The Work Choices Legacy, Federation Press, Sydney.Google Scholar
Forsyth, A. (2009) ‘“Exit stage left”, now “centre stage”: Collective bargaining under Work Choices and Fair Work’ in Forsyth, A. and Stewart, A. (eds) Fair Work: The New Workplace Laws and The Work Choices Legacy, Federation Press, Sydney, pp. 120–141.Google Scholar
Harris, J. (2006) ‘Federal collective bargaining after Electrolux’, Federal Law Review, 34 (1), pp. 45–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ILO (1994) Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining, General Survey of the Reports on the Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize Convention (No. 87), 1948 and the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention (No. 98) 1949, Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, International Labour Conference, 81st Session, Report III (Part 4B), Geneva.Google Scholar
McCarry, G. (1994) ‘Sanctions and industrial action: The impact of the Industrial Relations Reform Act’, Australian Journal of labour Law, 7 (2), pp. 198–245.Google Scholar
McCarry, G. (1997) ‘Industrial action under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth)’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 10 (1), pp. 133–157.Google Scholar
McCrystal, S. (2006) ‘Smothering the right to strike’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 19 (2), pp. 198–209.Google Scholar
McCrystal, S. (2009) ‘A new consensus: The Coalition, the ALP and the regulation of industrial action’ in Forsyth, A. and Stewart, A. (eds) Fair Work: The New Workplace Laws and the Work Choices Legacy, Federation Press, Sydney, pp. 141–163.Google Scholar
McCrystal, S. (2009–2010) ‘The Fair Work Act and the right to strike’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 23 (1), pp. 3–38.Google Scholar
McCrystal, S. (2010), The Right to Strike in Australia, Federation Press, Sydney.Google Scholar
Muir, K. (2008), Worth Fighting For: Inside the Your Rights at Work Campaign, UNSW Press, Sydney.Google Scholar
Murray, J. and Owens, R. (2009) ‘The safety net: Labour standards in the new era’ in Forsyth, A. and Stewart, A. (eds) Fair Work: The New Workplace Laws and The Work Choices Legacy, Federation Press, Sydney, pp. 40–74.Google Scholar
Novitz, T. (2003), International and European Protection of the Right to Strike, Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliver, D. (2008) ‘Australian unions in 2007’, Journal of Industrial Relations, 50 (3), pp. 447–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Neil, S. (2005) ‘Workplace relations legislation: Bills passed, rejected or lapsed, 38th–40th Parliaments’, E Brief, Australian Parliamentary Library, available: http://www.aph.gov.au [accessed 30 November 2009].Google Scholar
Orr, G. and Murugesan, S. (2007) ‘Secret ballots before employee industrial action’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 20 (3), pp. 272–294.Google Scholar
Pittard, M. (1999a) ‘Surf the new wave! Proposed reforms in IR’, Employment Law Bulletin, 5 (5), pp.33–34.Google Scholar
Pittard, M (1999b) ‘Change upon change: More second wave IR reforms’, Employment Law Bulletin, 5 (7), p 53.Google Scholar
Rathmell, A. (2008) ‘Collective bargaining after Work Choices: Will ‘good faith’ take us ‘forward with fairness’?’, Australian Journal of Labour Law, 21 (2), pp. 164–199.Google Scholar
Sharard, T. (1996) Competing Models of Worker Representation — the ILO Collective Bargaining Principles and Part VIB of the Industrial Relations Act 1988 , CELRL, Working Paper No. 10, University of Melbourne, Parkville.Google Scholar
Sheldon, P. (2008) ‘What collective bargaining future for Australia? Lessons from international experience’, in Riley, J. and Sheldon, P. (eds) Remaking Australian Industrial Relations, CCH Australia, Sydney, pp. 235–248.Google Scholar
Stewart, A. (2009) ‘A question of balance: Labor’s new vision for workplace regulation’ Australian Journal of Labour Law, 22 (1), pp. 3–50.Google Scholar
Van Wanrooy, B., Wright, S. and Buchanan, J. (2009) Who Bargains?, A report prepared for the NSW Office of Industrial Relations by the Workplace Research Centre, The University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Wedderburn, Lord (2002) ‘Common law, labour law, global law’ in Hepple, B. (ed.) Social and Labor Rights in a Global Context: International and Comparative Perspectives, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 19–54.Google Scholar
Williams, G. (1998) Labour Law and the Constitution, The Federation Press, Sydney.Google Scholar