LAW4119 - Contemporary workplace relations law

Offered

Clayton First semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

Topics include: federal system of regulating workplace relations; the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth), industrial disputes and their resolution, setting of terms and conditions of employment, the role of bargaining and industrial action v arbitration, the role and content of workplace agreements and how they are made and approved, impact of the Work Choices legislative amendments; the powers of institutions relevant to federal workplace relations; legal issues including the role of the Constitution, the nature of 'deregulation' of IR, the safety net, alternative dispute resolution, rights of unionists and non-unionists, problems of home-workers, and the role of international conventions.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students should

1. understand the legal framework for workplace relations in contemporary Australia;
2. understand the role which the legislature, the courts, tribunals and international bodies have have played in developing the legal framework for Australian industrial relations; and
3. be able to 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 (1 hour plus reading time) or written research assignment subject to lecturer approval (2000 words): 25%
Examination (2 hours writing time plus 10 minutes reading time): 75%

Contact hours

Three hours of lectures per week

Prerequisites

LAW1100 or LAW1101 and LAW1102 or LAW1104

Co-requisites

LAW3200 OR LAW3201