Industrial action, the right to strike, ballots and the Fair Work Act in international context
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Author(s)
Peetz, David
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2016
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Using statistical sources, this article investigates how Australian culture and
policy (including the Fair Work Act and mandatory secret ballots) influence
the volume, types and duration of strikes. The ‘toughness’ and tightening of
strike laws in Australia is internationally unusual. Many short, unconditional
strikes (for which ongoing conflict extends beyond the end of the strike) are
used in Australia to signal intensity of unionists’ intentions. This has
not changed much under the FW Act. Strike ballots are likewise a means of
signalling this intensity. ‘Unlawful’ strikes tend to be shorter than lawful
strikes, and have ...
View more >Using statistical sources, this article investigates how Australian culture and policy (including the Fair Work Act and mandatory secret ballots) influence the volume, types and duration of strikes. The ‘toughness’ and tightening of strike laws in Australia is internationally unusual. Many short, unconditional strikes (for which ongoing conflict extends beyond the end of the strike) are used in Australia to signal intensity of unionists’ intentions. This has not changed much under the FW Act. Strike ballots are likewise a means of signalling this intensity. ‘Unlawful’ strikes tend to be shorter than lawful strikes, and have recently declined. Despite the major changes in industrial law in Australia, Australia retains its own distinct culture regarding behaviour during industrial conflict. In Australia and elsewhere, the global shift in power from labour towards capital appears to have been more significant than changes in strike law in shaping changes in strike levels.
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View more >Using statistical sources, this article investigates how Australian culture and policy (including the Fair Work Act and mandatory secret ballots) influence the volume, types and duration of strikes. The ‘toughness’ and tightening of strike laws in Australia is internationally unusual. Many short, unconditional strikes (for which ongoing conflict extends beyond the end of the strike) are used in Australia to signal intensity of unionists’ intentions. This has not changed much under the FW Act. Strike ballots are likewise a means of signalling this intensity. ‘Unlawful’ strikes tend to be shorter than lawful strikes, and have recently declined. Despite the major changes in industrial law in Australia, Australia retains its own distinct culture regarding behaviour during industrial conflict. In Australia and elsewhere, the global shift in power from labour towards capital appears to have been more significant than changes in strike law in shaping changes in strike levels.
View less >
Journal Title
Australian Journal of Labour Law
Volume
29
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2016 Lexis Nexis Australia. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Business and Management not elsewhere classified
Business and Management
Policy and Administration
Law