Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show a downward trend in industrial disputes

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today show that in 2008–09, industrial disputes totalled 13.3 working days lost per thousand employees compared to 17.4 working days lost per thousand employees in 2007–08.

There was however an increase in the June quarter 2009 with 5 working days lost per thousand employees up from 1.2 working days lost per thousand employees in the March quarter 2009.

This largely occurred in the education and training and health care and social assistance industries which come under State jurisdictions.

In particular, these figures reflect the Queensland teachers’ work stoppage in early June. In total, Queensland accounted for 64.3 per cent of working days lost in the June quarter.

Excluding the education and training and health care and social assistance industries, the number of working days lost actually fell from 20,900 in the June quarter 2008 to 15,500 in the June quarter 2009.

The figures are also likely to reflect the large number of expiring enterprise agreements in the June quarter compared to the March quarter.

In the June quarter 2009, 246 529 employees were covered by collective agreements that expired in the quarter (and were not replaced or terminated). This was a significant increase from the 166 277 employees covered by collective agreements that expired in the March quarter 2009.

As a result, a larger number of employees were potentially eligible to take industrial action in support of bargaining for a new agreement.

The Rudd Government’s new Fair Work Act ensures that industrial disputes are governed by clearer, tough rules.

Under Fair Work, industrial action will only be protected if it has been authorised by a mandatory secret ballot when bargaining for a new enterprise agreement.

Any other industrial action is unlawful and Fair Work Australia has the power to issue orders to prevent or stop it.

For more information about industrial action under the new workplace relations system, visit the Clear, tough rules for industrial action factsheet at: www.deewr.gov.au/industrialactionrules

Topics: Australia, Bureau of Statistics, downward trend, economic downtrend, Economy, Governance, industrial disputes, recession, recovery

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