The Enhancement of Individual Employment Rights Through Enterprise Bargaining: Australian Case Studies

A. N. Khan
A. Travaglione
J. Taya

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DOI: 10.2190/KU9E-P9FV-48F6-N6YP

Abstract

When the Australian Industrial Relations Commission introduced its enterprise bargaining principles in 1991, it attempted to cement in place through its regulatory framework, mechanisms that would further enhance individual employment rights. This article explores the success of the commission's objectives through four case studies on organizations which have embraced the principles and progressed down the path of workplace reform. The organizations have enterprise agreements that link corporate goals with employee and union goals and in doing so, have achieved considerable commitment of all parties to the process. The strategic philosophy of management appeared to be that consultation with, and the involvement of employees and the unions in the decision-making process, was not only desirable but essential. The assumptions that can be made from the case studies, are that the macroeconomic changes introduced by the commission to achieve microeconomic change at the workplace have been effective, and can be attributed to the fact that management has empowered employees with real involvement, both at an individual level, and in the overall operation and direction of the organizations.

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