Employment Relations in Australia
"In every workplace, there exists an invisible frontier of control, reducing some of the formal powers of the employer: a frontier which is defined and redefined in a continuous process of pressure and counter pressure, conflict and accommodation, overt and tacit struggle" (Hyman, 1975, p26). Discuss the responses of employees, unions and employers to this frontier of control ', drawing on both historical and contemporary examples to illustrate your answer.
Synopsis
The aim of this paper is to discuss the invisible frontier of control, it would be analysed in terms of its impact on unions and employers in industrial conflict. The paper will mainly focus on the Workplace Relations Act 1996. This Act would be used to explain the effects it had on the shift of control using relevant case study examples. This paper is divided into four parts, explanation of conflict in the workplace, the invisible frontier of control, and the impact of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 with case study examples.
Introduction
It has been argued that industrial conflict is inevitable in most work environments. Although conflict can be damaging for the workplace, it is important that we understand it wholly by examining all its manifestations. According to Kornhauser (et el 1954, pp.12-13) to better understand industrial strife means examining the total range of behaviour and attitudes that express opposition and divergent orientations between industrial owners on the one hand and working people and their organisations on the other (Deery et el 2005 p307). To get a deeper understanding of industrial conflict the concept of the invisible frontier of control would be analysed in terms of its impact on unions and employers in industrial conflict.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines Industrial conflict or dispute as a withdrawal from work by a group of employees, a refusal by an employer or a number of employers to permit some or all of their employees to work,
Synopsis
The aim of this paper is to discuss the invisible frontier of control, it would be analysed in terms of its impact on unions and employers in industrial conflict. The paper will mainly focus on the Workplace Relations Act 1996. This Act would be used to explain the effects it had on the shift of control using relevant case study examples. This paper is divided into four parts, explanation of conflict in the workplace, the invisible frontier of control, and the impact of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 with case study examples.
Introduction
It has been argued that industrial conflict is inevitable in most work environments. Although conflict can be damaging for the workplace, it is important that we understand it wholly by examining all its manifestations. According to Kornhauser (et el 1954, pp.12-13) to better understand industrial strife means examining the total range of behaviour and attitudes that express opposition and divergent orientations between industrial owners on the one hand and working people and their organisations on the other (Deery et el 2005 p307). To get a deeper understanding of industrial conflict the concept of the invisible frontier of control would be analysed in terms of its impact on unions and employers in industrial conflict.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines Industrial conflict or dispute as a withdrawal from work by a group of employees, a refusal by an employer or a number of employers to permit some or all of their employees to work,
References: Database Articles CIT (1988), Decision – Coal Mining Industry (Award Restructuring), Sydney Lumley Kathryn, 2001, ‘Awarding a balance: trading the tightrope of workplace change ', CCH, pp 8-9 Sloan Judith, 1997, ‘The workplace relations act 1996: an overview ', ABL, Vol 23, no 1, pp 28-32 Waring P, Barry M, 2001, ‘The changing frontier of control in coal: Evidence from a decade of Enterprise Bargaining in the Australian black coal mining industry ', ABL, Vol 27, No.3, pp 218-222 Books Bray, M., Deery, S., Walsh, J., and Warning, P., 2005, Industrial Relations: A Contemporary Approach, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, Australia.