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Workplace 'bargaining' and the wages/working time nexus: counting the cost of decentralisation

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posted on 2003-01-01, 00:00 authored by Elsa UnderhillElsa Underhill, S Bertone, J Doughney
The impact of deregulation on dispersion of earnings in Victoria has been
acknowledged in the findings of the recent task force enquiry into industrial relations in Victoria. This paper argues that the link between hours worked and rates of pay has played a significant role in this increased dispersion. Drawing upon detailed analysis of hours and wages in Victorian agreements, data is presented on declining take-home pay flowing from the loss of penalty rates. This, we argue, is attributable to
the lack of substantive and procedural protections available to Victorian workers under schedule 1A of the Workplace Relations Act, and formerly under the Victorian Employee Relations Act, 1992. We contrast these findings with collective agreements trading off penalty rates certified by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and Australian Workplace Agreements approved by the Office of the Employment
Advocate. We conclude by suggesting there is a scale of fair outcomes attached to the wages/hours trade-off, directly attributable to the various institutional mechanisms now influencing Australian wage determination.

History

Title of book

Developments in enterprise bargaining in Australia

Chapter number

8

Pagination

141 - 157

Publisher

Tertiary Press

Place of publication

Croydon, Vic.

ISBN-13

9780864583154

ISBN-10

086458315X

Language

eng

Publication classification

B1.1 Book chapter

Copyright notice

2003, Tertiary Press

Extent

17

Editor/Contributor(s)

J Burgess, D MacDonald

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