Role of Trade Unions and Industrial Conflict in Australia

Part B: Extended response questions
Answer two (2) following questions. Each answer is worth 10 marks (total 20 marks).
Your response to each question should be no more than 350 words.
Question 1 (maximum of 350 words):
“Given the level of state intervention in employment relations in Australia there is no need
for trade unions”. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? In your answer you
may consider (but are not limited to) the following:
a) The role of trade unions
It is identified that, as for the current situation Trade union are playing a prominent role in
context of Australian employment law. At the initial level, a particular process of Enterprises
bargaining taken place where employer can come together with their employees and also
unions in order to negotiate on a particular situation of the employment in their organisation.
Unions also have the right of entry into enterprises in which they have membership,
which organizations can use to inspect working conditions and confer with employees. The
public's perception of unions has deteriorated in recent years as a result of a series of scandals
involving union executives misusing members' finances. Meanwhile, the Federal Government
formed five 'working groups' in June 2020, each comprised of a balance of employer
organizations and unions, tasked with identifying measures to urgently stimulate the economy
and regroup jobs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis (Cutcher-Gershenfeld and Isaac,
2018).
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the umbrella organisation for 46
affiliated unions that collectively represent around 2 million Australian labourers. The ACTU
has been at the forefront of some of Australia's greatest fundamental industrial disputes since
its inception in 1927. The benefits to industry are numerous: decades of pay rises through the
award system and field campaigns, safer workplaces, greater gender equality, shorter working
hours, paid vacation and improved working conditions, and the formation of a national
pension system.

b) The safety net
In the absence of another ‘superior' instrument, such as a collectively or verified agreement or
an individual contract, it refers to the level of salaries and conditions to which an employee
will expect to have access. As a result, the award safety net comprises both federal and state
rewards.The 10 National Employment Standards (NES) and current awards from the safety
net, which establishes the basic contract of employment for all federal employees (Brunetto
and et. al., 2020).
C) Employment relations legislation such as unfair dismissal d) Work Health and Safety laws
In Australia, unfair dismissal and work health and safety laws are playing a prominent role in
order to maintain the employment relationship in the organisation. Through unfair dismissal
legislation, organisations can effectively reduce the discrimination among their employees
and follow fair and clear working conditions. Work health and safety laws are helpful to to
improve the safety concern of all the employees and works. Apart from this, The Fair Work
Act 2009 (FW Act) and also the Fair Work Regulations 2009 are considered as the main
legislation which can help full to maintain the employment relationship.
Question 2 (maximum of 350 words):
Does the decline in strike activity demonstrate that industrial conflict in Australia is a thing of
the past? Why/why not? In your answer, discuss the following:
(a) The reasons for industrial conflict
There are various reasons are identified which are considered as the main reasons for the
industrial conflicts in Australian organisation. Some specific reasons are considered by
organisations such as structural organisation causes, interpersonal and also personal sources,
procedural resources, intra organisational policies etc. All these reasons are mainly concerned