Fair Work Act branded ‘difficult’
Employers in the resources sector claim the Fair Work Act is making their life harder and see trouble ahead on the industrial relations front.
The survey, carried out by the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) in conjunction with RMIT University’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, found employer concerns about Labour’s workplace relations system were on the rise.
“Previously issues associated with bargaining for new enterprise agreements including the new union monopoly on agreement making for major projects were of major concern to employers,” Knott says.
“In addition to these concerns, over the six months to October 2010 we saw the increased presence of union representatives on worksites and rising union right of entry demands adding to employer concerns within the sector.
“It is clear from our latest survey findings increased union activity both in negotiations, as well as in the workplace itself, are having a major impact on levels of confidence in workplace relations arrangements under the Fair Work Act,” Mr Knott said.
Other survey findings include:
- A decline in the number of resource industry employers describing their workplace relations environment as either “good” or “excellent” from 54.4per cent to 32 per cent.
- An increase in the number of employers who describe their workplace relations environment as ‘barely acceptable’ 4.4 per cent to 29.2 per cent.
- inflated wage and condition claims and outcomes;
- the prospect of protected or unprotected strike action;
- termination of employment/redundancy concerns including the prospect of unfair dismissal claims; and,
- the transition to modern awards.
