University Research Supports CTU Case for Strengthening Employment Relations Act

“New research by Victoria University strongly supports the Council of Trade Unions’ case for strengthening of the Employment Relations Act,” CTU president Ross Wilson said today

Professor Pat Walsh this week released research which shows that the Act is failing in its key objective of promoting collective bargaining, and that there has been little measurable change in the bargaining environment since the Act came into force more than two years ago.

“The research conclusively proves the CTU claim that the ERA was a very moderate change to our employment laws,” Ross Wilson said. “Unfortunately it is now proving to be so moderate as to be ineffective in achieving its stated objectives.

“This is partly because many employers have used sophisticated legal strategies to frustrate the Act, and it is partly because weaknesses in the law have been exposed in practice over the past two years,” he said

The CTU has proposed four key objectives to Government in the review of the Act: real promotion of collective bargaining concrete and meaningful good faith provisions an end to freeloading by non-union members protection of vulnerable workers on transfer of a business

“The Victoria University research shows that the Act is not working as intended and that key provisions need to be strengthened by amendments,” Ross Wilson said.

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