WIZ Early 1980s "Closed Shop" arrangements were historically common in Australia, despite it apparently being beyond the capacity of the federal tribunal to include compulsory membership provisions in Awards. In the late 1980s employers were more than happy to agree to closed shops, seeing them as a means of reducing the likelihood of tensions between unionised and non-unionised employees and as simplifying the bargaining process. The 1996 Workplace Relations Act made it unlawful to discriminate against employees (including in relation to hiring) on the ground that they do not belong to a union - which brought us into line with ILO Conventions. [Creighton, Labour Law] Lawrie's comments are entirely credible, to the question asked. You'll never see the 'prepared to join union' tick box on an application form ever again. AMOS there was just that other little matter of the employers and the federal government's contribution into the history books.
Personalities aside, fact remains we aren't experts on the new IR regulations. We don't know what's in bounds and what's out; there are now minefields of fines that can stick if you don't know what you're doing in disputes or when bargaining. Only 2 sure things - death and taxes - let's get a decent gross income on which to pay tax and some reasonable conditions so that we can enjoy life; not what is around in other pockets of the industry, exactly what suits us. Splintering in different directions just highlights to the company that we can't come up with a joint position. Time to get over it, get smarter and get it together. Of course labour supply power today can be of benefit individually, but a 'closed shop' strategy nets longer term power to get what we want now and also when the labour supply pendulum swings back.
Last edited by Ol Shep; 21st May 2007 at 20:14.