Review of Industrial Relations-1991

Australian industrial relations have continued to move toward decentralization. The events of 1991 reveal that the persistent calls for decentralized bargaining between employers, employees and their representative organizations are having effect: enterprise bargaining within the federal system has been ratified by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and legislation providing for enterprise bargaining has been introduced in New South Wales The trade union movement has sought to consolidate its position through the continued process of amalgamation of unions and involvement in enterprise bargaining. The study of industrial relations at the workplace level has become a priority of the federal government and, with the release of the first major survey in the area, a more important topic for industrial relations academics. The greater focus on the workplace by industrial relations academics will hopefully act to inform the proposed changes in the practice of industrial relations.