BTC3730 - Industrial bargaining and arbitration

Leader: Ms Paula Darvas

Offered

Not offered in 2007

Synopsis

Topics include the nature of interstate industrial disputes which can be settled by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission; bargaining and certified agreements and Australian Workplace Agreements; subject matter and role of awards and enterprise agreements; parties to awards and agreements; how awards and agreements can be varied and enforced; the position of the non-unionist in the system; unfair dismissals; the use of the labour power, s 51(35) of the Constitution, and other constitutional heads of power in enacting labour relations laws.

Objectives

The learning objectives of this unit are to:

• Describe the legal framework for workplace relations in contemporary Australia;
• Critically analyse the role which the legislature, the courts, tribunals and international bodies have played in developing the legal framework for Australian industrial relations;
• Critically evaluate the legal operation of the federal system of dispute settlement and of determining conditions of employment by collective or individual agreements.

Assessment

Class test (60 minutes plus reading time) or written research assignment subject to lecturer approval (2000 words): 25%
Final Examination (2 hours plus 10 minutes reading time): 75%

Contact hours

Two 1-hour lectures and one 1-hour tutorial per week

Prerequisites

Any four second-year units