Australian Wage Dispute Analysis: Fair Work Act 2009 and Outcomes

This essay examines the Australian wage dispute concerning slow wage growth, referencing an ABC article from 2019. It identifies key parties, including employers, employees, the government, and the community, and analyzes the dispute's background, highlighting the decline in wage growth compared to previous decades. The essay explores how the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and its provisions, such as national employment standards and minimum wage regulations, have been utilized by the involved parties. It discusses the ineffectiveness of these provisions in ensuring appropriate wage growth, especially in light of inflation and the prevalence of outsourcing and offshoring. The essay also explores the role of Enterprise Flexibility Agreements and the decline of trade unions in influencing the dispute's dynamics. Finally, it concludes by assessing the current state of the dispute and the challenges in resolving it due to the absence of a comprehensive legal framework to address slow wage growth.