Do Trade Unions Have a Future in Australia
Do you believe that trade unions have a strong future in Australian industrial relations? If so, why?
Trade unions have been described as organisations of workers set up to improve the status, pay and conditions of employment of their members and associations of workers who by means of collective bargaining endeavor to improve their working conditions, economic and social position (Salamon, 1992). Trade unions face many implications, declining union density, rapid expansion into casual labor market and decline of the manufacturing industry as a job provider.Trade unions have played a major role in the development of Australia and will continue to do so, however its critical that they adopt a form of union renewal to apply to the changing environment of Australia, as these changes can influence and affect the conditions for renewal and also can affect the way unions organize and regroup.
Hymen (2002) suggest that in last three decades have seen a radical transformation of global capitalism with the liberalisation of currency markets; the acceleration of transactions through advances in information and telecommunications technologies; and the breakdown of the American-dominated post-war system of international monetary stabilisation. Deprived of much of their previous room for shaping macroeconomic policy, governments too have typically embraced policies of 'deregulation' to increase flexibility in labor markets. While the extent of such challenges varies substantially cross- nationally, universally the foundations of the post-war industrial relations compromise are significantly weakened, and hence the status of unions as its beneficiaries (Hymen, 2002)
According to a study by Drago and Wooden (1991) trade union organization in Australia continues to reflect occupational, rather than industry or enterprise, distinctions. Consequently, the membership of the average union is spread over a large number of workplaces, reducing opportunities for contact between
Trade unions have been described as organisations of workers set up to improve the status, pay and conditions of employment of their members and associations of workers who by means of collective bargaining endeavor to improve their working conditions, economic and social position (Salamon, 1992). Trade unions face many implications, declining union density, rapid expansion into casual labor market and decline of the manufacturing industry as a job provider.Trade unions have played a major role in the development of Australia and will continue to do so, however its critical that they adopt a form of union renewal to apply to the changing environment of Australia, as these changes can influence and affect the conditions for renewal and also can affect the way unions organize and regroup.
Hymen (2002) suggest that in last three decades have seen a radical transformation of global capitalism with the liberalisation of currency markets; the acceleration of transactions through advances in information and telecommunications technologies; and the breakdown of the American-dominated post-war system of international monetary stabilisation. Deprived of much of their previous room for shaping macroeconomic policy, governments too have typically embraced policies of 'deregulation' to increase flexibility in labor markets. While the extent of such challenges varies substantially cross- nationally, universally the foundations of the post-war industrial relations compromise are significantly weakened, and hence the status of unions as its beneficiaries (Hymen, 2002)
According to a study by Drago and Wooden (1991) trade union organization in Australia continues to reflect occupational, rather than industry or enterprise, distinctions. Consequently, the membership of the average union is spread over a large number of workplaces, reducing opportunities for contact between