Assessment of Industrial & Employee Relations in Australia - Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of the industrial and employee relations environment in Western Australia and Australia as a whole. It covers key aspects of the Western Australian State System, including compensation and rewards, minimum work conditions, and industrial agreements. The report also outlines various employment legislations at both the national and state levels, such as the Fair Work Act 2009, Sex Discrimination Act, and Industrial Relations Act 1979. It further discusses the national workplace relations system, including the roles of the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman. The report highlights the shift in focus from industrial relations to employee relations, emphasizing the importance of the employer-employee relationship. It also touches upon the evolution of enterprise bargaining in the Australian federal industrial relations system. Lastly, the report assesses the employee performance at STAR industries based on the company's intranet and recommends actions for the improvement of employee relations.

Running head: ASSESSMENT 1
ASSESSMENT 1
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ASSESSMENT 1
Task 1- I.R Environment
Q1.1
The Western Australia has the presence of two industrial relations systems, which are
different from one another. The difference persists mostly on the basis of the employment
laws, the rewards and compensation system and also the minimum work conditions. The
similarity between the two systems exists on the basis of the laws on minimum age from
which children can work and long leaves from service for employers and employees. The
features of the Western Australian State System (WA) can be stated to be as follows:-
 The WA compensation and rewards system is applicable for certain industries and
occupations, OR
 Industrial agreements that have been registered to a certain business, OR
 The agreement based on common law contract where the employee is free of rewards.
The above mentioned employment agreements are applicable for all the workplaces present
in the state system. The ‘Minimum Conditions of Employment Act’, states the requirement to
provide a minimum standard of wage to be paid and also states the conditions based on these
employment agreements.
The negotiation of industrial agreements takes place between the unions and
employers and is registered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. On
the completion of the registration, the provision of the agreement is applicable to all the
employees who conduct the work which is covered by the agreement.
The employer-employee agreement (or EEA) is a formal registration taking place
stating the terms and conditions of employment, and takes place between the employer and

2ASSESSMENT 1
employee. The agreements need to be registered with the Western Australian Industrial
Relations Commission, is required to ensure that the employee is not held back from being
provided a deserving reward, is not applicable to be offered as a condition of promotion,
transfer or employment and may operate for a period of three years.
The Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission sets the minimum amount
of wage to be offered by State. It also conducts an adjustment of the rate of wage provided as
awards. The wage is reviewed by considering the current condition of economy as well as the
labour market, the requirements of the employees who are paid less, and also submissions
done by the unions and government of Western Australia.
Q1.2
Australia has the presence of a wide range of employment legislations that affect all
the workplaces present in the country. They are as follows:-
On a national basis, the acts are:-
 Fair Work Act 2009 emphasizes on providing a fair system of work to employees and
promotes productivity and economic growth of the organization as well.
 Legislation in the Employment and Workplace Relations Portfolio amends the
Workplace Relations Act 1966 and other legislations are maintained by the
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
 Sex Discrimination Act and the Racial Discrimination Act help in ensuring the
protection of individuals from discrimination.
 Equal opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999, ensures that the employers
promote equal opportunities for women in employment.
Queensland:-

3ASSESSMENT 1
 Industrial Relations Act 1999
 Work Health and Safety Act 2011
New South Wales:-
 Industrial Relations Act 1996
 Work Health and Safety Act 2011
 Workers Compensation Act 1987 which deals with providing compensation and
rehabilitation of workers caused due to work related injuries. In the year 2012, this
Act was amended.
 Long Service Leave Act 1955
Victoria:-
 Sex Discrimination Act and the Racial Discrimination Act
 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
South Australia:-
 Fair Work Act 1994 which deals with the relationship of the employer and employee
in Southern Australia.
West Australia:-
 Industrial Relations Act 1979
 Long Service Leave Act 1958
 Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993
 Public and Bank Holidays Act 1972
 Workplace Agreements Act 1993
Tasmania:-

4ASSESSMENT 1
 Industrial Relations Act 1984, applicable to employees of the Tasmanian State
Government.
Northern Territory:-
 Fair Work Act 2009
Australian Capital Territory:-
 Discrimination Act 1991
 Public Sector Management Act 1994
Q1.3
The national workplace relations system present in Australia comprises of the Fair
Work System which was started in 2009. It was created from the Fair Work Act of 2009.
The Fair Work System consists of two main organizations which are the Fair Work
Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman. The Fair Work Commission looks after the fair
wage distribution, safety at workplace, ensures a fair enterprise bargaining process, and deals
with solving disputes, industrial actions and termination of employees. The Fair Work
Ombudsman helps employees in receiving proper wages and makes him understand the
number of leaves and rewards of overtime. It also helps to enforce the workplace laws, works
with the industry as well as the unions and various stakeholders. Lastly, it helps in managing
business activities including transfers and closures.
The Federal Court of Australia deals with all matters relating to Fair Work practices
and the Fair Work Division of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia deals with problems
efficiently. The employers and employees enjoy the same workplace rights as well as
obligations, irrespective of the state they are working in.

5ASSESSMENT 1
Q1.4
The industrial relations can be said to have come into existence before the employee
relations. However, at present, employee relations are gaining popularity in being used as a
reference to the workplace relations. It has been established that the focus should be given on
the relationship between employers and employees. The industrial relations does notr give
much priority to the establishment and maintaining of these relations. Employees are the most
integral part of any organization and therefore it is important to pay more attention to
employer and employee relationships, rather than studying the laws that are responsible for
governing the relationships in a workplace. Thus, this is the difference between the concepts
of Industrial Relations and Employee Relations.
Q1.5
In the year 1991, the calls for enterprise bargaining were addressed by the
Commission. It approved the enterprise bargain process with a few restrictions. It stated that
the enterprise agreements had the same legal status as that in the awards system. It also stated
that it would be involved in the settlement of disputes relating to enterprise agreements and
emphasized that the unions and employers must work together and accept all responsibilities
over an agreed period of time, following all necessary protocols. All agreements that take
place are to continue only till the agreed period of time and cannot be forced upon the
employee unless it is extended. Thus, this is the bargaining process that currently exists in the
Australian federal industrial relations system.

6ASSESSMENT 1
Task 2- Analysis and Application
Q2.1
The review of all relevant documents contained on the Star Intranet reveals that the
existing employee performance relating to the workforce objectives of the organization is
adequate. This is due to the following reasons:-
 The employees receive support via the presence of a centralized digital workplace.
This helps keep the employees as well as the employer informed with relevant
information relating to the organization and the business.
 It serves as a central point for the transactional process and assists in searching for
other employees, information and the submission of internal forms.
 The enterprise portal connects the business system to provide a single access point for
employees, making it easier for them by providing them fewer logins and passwords
to memorize.
 It ensures effective communication as well as promotes collaborative practices.
 It has allowed the establishment of an internal brand which the employee identify
with and feel more motivated to work for.
 Lastly it ensures the monitoring and management of the development of employees.
Q2.2
The critical actions that are recommended for the improvement of employee relations
at STAR are as stated below:-
 Stress on employee development programs- STAR needs to stress more on the
development of its employees. The training of the employees in accordance to the task
they are to perform in the organization greatly increases their work efficiency. Proper
attention is required to be given to the needs of employees and an evaluation of the

7ASSESSMENT 1
skills and qualifications of the employee would help in conducting this task. The
employees who have been recognized as top performers should not be neglected by
the development program and are to be given same level of priority and focus.
 Challenging the employees- The employees can be provided with new challenging
tasks on a time to time basis in order to increase their level of participation, interest
and motivation. Working in a routine gradually gets tiring and monotonous for the
employees resulting in a lack of focus. However, the introduction of new weekly
challenges can be effective in increasing the interest of the employees. Apart from
this, rewards and incentives should also be provided to the employees on the basis of
their performance to keep them motivated.
 Communication and understanding of the company objectives- It is mandatory for any
organization to maintain a good flow of communication between its employer and
employees. The establishment and maintenance of a good communication system
would allow the employees to be aware of the various management decisions and
changes taking place in the organization’s policies. Apart from this, they would also
be aware of the company’s objectives/goals that are to be achieved within a given
period of time. Thus it would greatly impact the productivity and sales of the
organization in a positive manner.