CHANGES IN ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AND IR UNDER THE NEW COALITION GOVERNMENT

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Conference presented by acirrt
CHANGES IN ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AND IR UNDER
THE NEW COALITION GOVERNMENT
December 2001
Ron Callus a c i r r t, university of sydney
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CHANGES IN AGREEMENT MAKING OVER TIME
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CHANGES TO WORKING TIME ARRANGEMENTS CONTINUE
 
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AND THE WINNER IS - TRADE UNIONS?    
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THE REAL WINNER IS?  
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  NON UNION AGREEMENTS BECOMING MORE LIKE UNION
AGREEMENTS BUT STILL SOME DIFFERENCES  

• NON UNION AGREEMENTS LESS LIKELY THAN UNION
  AGREEMENTS TO
• Provide for wage increase (85 v 77)
• Numerical flex provisions (31v24)
• OHS provisions (56v48)
• Training provisions (66v56)
•  
• MORE likely than union agreements to
• Replace the award ( 7v19)
• Have hours flexibility provisions (51 v 65)
• More than12 hours span of hours (14v22)
• Averaging of hours (2130)
• Mon-Sunday ord hours (17v28)
• Parental leave (51v71)

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FUTURE OF BARGAINING.  

• AWAs have limited appeal as awards simplified
  except for use in strategic non union
  bargaining
• More union recognition and rights issues in union
  agreements
• Continuing convergence of union and non-union
  agreements
• End of the blue skies agreements ?
• Change, training, learning, consultative
  provisions less likely
• Re-centralisation of HR and IR in organisations
  will increase use of multi-site or framework
  agreements
• Increase interest in private mediation in dispute
  settling provisions
• Productivity offset fatigue
• Pattern bargaining to continue in parts of
  construction and metals
• Union issues- staffing levels, quality of
  service, mat leave and study leave and limiting
  extended hours

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ATTITUDES TOWARDS UNIONS OF AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYEES
THAT AGREE WITH STATEMENT
1996 2001 Australia would be better off without
unions 25 14 Management has more power than
unions 46 56 Unions in Australia dont look
after their members 43 34 Id rather be in a
union 48 52
THAT AGREE WITH STATEMENT
1996 2001 Australia would be better off without
unions 25 14 Management has more power than
unions 46 56 Unions in Australia dont look
after their members 43 34 Id rather be in a
union 48 52
Source 1996 Newspoll Survey and 2001 ACIRRT
survey
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ATTITUDES TOWARDS UNIONS OF AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYEES
BASED ON AGE
THAT AGREE WITH STATEMENT
1996 2001 18- 25- 45 18- 25-
45 24 44 plus 24 44
plus Australia would be better off without
unions 24 26 23 9 14 15
Management has more power than unions 49 44
46 43 56 61 Unions in Australia dont
look after their members 35 41 50 23
35 39 Id rather be in a union 54 48
44 58 51 50
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THE PROBLEMS OF SMALL BUSINESS ACCORDING TO
ACCI, 2001

•  SMALL BUSINESS MEDIUM LARGE
• (1-19 employees) (19-99 employees)
  (100 plus ees)
•  1.   frequency and complexity 1 1
• of changes to tax laws
•  2. level of taxation 2 2
•  3. telecommunication costs 7 8
•  4. complexity of Govt regulations 4 3
•  5. unfair dismissal legislation 3 7
•  6. superannuation guarantee 14 28
•  7. cost of compliance 6 4
•  8. energy costs 12 9
•  9. penalty for failure to comply 8 10
• with regulations
• 10. workers compo payments 5 5

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WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO TAKING ON NEW EMPLOYEES?
Lack of work Cost of employing Cashflow Finding
skilled staff Workcare Superannuation cost Dont
need any more staff Employment conditions Profitab
ility Lack of confidence Depends on work
availability
38
14
9
7
7
7
6
5
5
4
4
Source Yellow Pages R Business Index Sweeney
Research November 2001
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SMALL BUSINESS ISSUES, AUGUST 1998
OF WORKPLACES Taxation
reform Cheaper/easier to employ Less red
tape Less paperwork Economic growth Concessions
for small business Promoting employment Unfair
dismissal laws Get people spending Introduce
GST Industrial relations Get rid of sales
tax Superannuation
42 12 11 8 7 7 7 6 6 4 4 4
Note Figures sum to more than 100 as multiple
responses were accepted.
Source Telstra Yellow Pages, Small Business
Index (August 1998, p 6)
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REASONS FOR NOT HAVING A NON-AWARD AGREEMENT OR
ARRANGEMENT IN PLACE (PERCENTAGE OF WORKPLACES
WITHOUT NON-AWARD AGREEMENT OR ARRANGEMENT)
Source ACIRRT-ABL employer survey, 2000
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SIGNIFICANT EFFICIENCY CHANGES THAT RESPONDENTS
WOULD LIKE TO MAKE BUT WERE UNABLE TO, SMALL
BUSINESS, 1995
OF WORKPLACES Change staff
numbers More flexibility in changing staff Change
unfair dismissal laws More flexible use of
staff Performance/productivity pay Abolish
penalty rates/loadings Like to have enterprise
agreement Make award changes Improve
technology Change working hours Improve/change
buildings/equipment Change government
policy Better training programs Increase
productivity Other significant efficiency change
9 5 6 5 4 7 7 4 16 4 21 5 5 7 20
Source Morehead et al. (1997, Table 13, 11, p
312)quoted in Waring and De Ruyter ABL September
1999.