Employment Relations in Australia - Essay Example

Employment relations Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Introduction In the last two decades, it has been determined that there is transformation from the industrial relations system to employment relations. This is because the business environment is changing and this means that countries should also change to meet the needs of the employees. There are various laws which have been developed to protect the employees from exploitation and this means that the employees will be motivated to achieve their tasks (Kaufman 2004). There are various contributors to the transformation from the traditional industrial relations system to employment relations system. These contributors include the employees, the employers, trade unions and employer associations. In this essay, it is argued that over the last 2 decades, there has been transformation from the traditional industrial relations system to employment relations. This statement is correct because of the employment laws which have been developed and are being used in Australia. The approach to Employment Relations which is applied in the current business is Unitarism approach. This is the approach whereby the management of organizations is perceived as an integrated system which has common objectives to achieve (Kaufman 2004). In this effect, the trade unions are considered appropriate and the employees are provided the opportunity to join trade unions of their choice. With the unitarist approach, conflicts in organizations are deemed as disruptive and appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the conflicts are managed so that conflicts can be managed effectively. In addition, the unitarist approach is also characterized by flexible working conditions and practices. This means that the employees are provided with the opportunity to schedule their work effectively. This is in the context that the employees will work according to their schedule which is flexible. This aims at improving the productivity of the employees (Salamon 2000). In Australia, for example, the most of the organizations have moved from industrial relations approach to employment relations. This focuses on improving the relationship between the employees and the employer. For instance, the standard working hours in Australia is 38 hours for those who work on full time basis according to National employment Standards. In addition, the statement that the last 2 decades have seen transformations in most countries from industrial relations system to contemporary employment relations is correct because of the relationship between the employer and the employees. The first law that guides the relationship between the employer and the employees is Fair Work Act of 2009. This law helps to protect the employees from any form of exploitation (The Australian workers’s Union 2014). For instance, the minimum terms of employment should be met with the aim of improving the working relationship between the employer and the employees. This focuses on improving the motivation of the employees which in turn helps to improve their productivity of the organization hence the need for employment relations. Moreover, there is Fair work Ombudsman which helps to educate the employers, employees and the wider market community regarding their rights and responsibilities. The aim of the Fair Work Ombudsman is to ensure that the Australian laws have been implemented effectively and that the employees’ needs are met (Whalen 2008). In this effect, the industrial relations system has changed to employment relations hence the statement is correct. The contemporary employment relations have also been applied by many countries including Australia by supporting the Sex Discrimination Act. The sex discrimination act and racial discrimination requires that the employers are focusing on how they can avoid any form of discrimination so that they will embrace workplace diversity (The Australian workers’s Union 2014). This means that the employment laws in Australia have been effective in promoting the good working relationship between the employers and the employees and have helped to abandon the traditional industrial relations system. In addition, the equal opportunity for women at workplace act of 1999 requires that the female employees should be provided with equal opportunities so that they can be able to access equal opportunity like their male counterparts. This implies the country has changed from the traditional industrial relations system whereby the employees were given greater emphasis and they were only considered as objectives (Ackers &Wilkinson 2003). As a result, the country has managed to ensure that the employee relations help to improve the productivity of the employees since the employees are seen as resources essential for any orgaisation. Furthermore, there is Fair Work Australia which was formed in the year 2009. The Fair work Australia helped to replace the Australia Industrial relations commission. This means that the country has moved from the industrial relations system to better employment relations system (The Australian workers’s Union 2014). This is the system that helps the employees of an organisation to have common objectives and same interests. In this regard, the country has moved from industrial relations system to employment relations one using the unitarist approach. The statement that countries have changed from industrial relations systems to employment relations one is correct because of the industrial reforms act of 1993 which have enabled the countries to change their approaches to leadership. In this effect, the organizations have moved from pluralist approach to unitarist approach whereby the organizations bare considered to have common objective (Budd 2004). The industrial relations reforms act of 1993 aimed at solving the conflicts affecting the relationship between the employer and the employees. This means that at workplace conflicts are inevitable and this led to the development of the reforms so that the disputes between the employees and the employer can be solved. This supports the argument that the countries have moved from industrial relations system to employment relations. The roles and responsibilities performed by the trade unions also makes the statement correct. This is because the trade unions have contributed greatly to creating good working relationship between the employees and the employer (Burton et al 2011). This is because the trade unions work hand in hand with the employees and engage in collective bargaining. The employees are allowed to join the trade unions unlike the traditional industrial relations system whereby the employees were not given the opportunity to join the trade unions. The trade unions help to engage in collective bargaining on behalf of the employees with the employer. For instance, the working hours and the minimum wage for the employees should be observed by the employers. This supports the unitarist approach and because the employees and the employer will be able to solve their conflicts hence creating good industrial relations (Kelly 1998). In this way, in the last two decades the industrial relations system has changed to employment relations and this has helped to create good relationship between the employers and the employees. Conclusion In most countries, there has been transformation from industrial relations system to employment relations system. This statement is correct because it has been supported by various arguments and laws supporting the unitarist approach. With the unitarist approach, an organisation is considered as an integrated system with common objectives. This means that the conflicts should be managed so that the employees can share the common objective. The Fair Work Act of 2009 provides the basis for good working relationship between the employer and the employees. In this effect, it can be concluded that over the last 2 decades the country has transformed from traditional industrial relations system to employment relations system. References Ackers, P &Wilkinson, A. (2003). Understanding Work and Employment: Industrial Relations in Transition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Budd, J., W. (2004). Employment with a Human Face: Balancing Efficiency, Equity, and Voice. London: Cornell University Press. Burton, K., Thomas, C & Stella, T. (2011). Principles of Criminal Law in Queensland and Western Australia Lawbook. New York: Prentice Hall. Kaufman, B., E. (2004). Theoretical Perspectives on Work and the Employment Relationship. Industrial Relations Research Association. Kelly, J. (1998). Rethinking Industrial Relations: Mobilization, Collectivism and Long Waves. London: Routledge. Salamon, M. (2000). Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice. New York: Prentice Hall. The Australian workers’s Union (2014). Employment legislation, retrieved on 4th May 2015 from http://www.awu.net.au/employment-legislation Whalen, C., J. (2008). New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment: Revitalizing Industrial Relations as an Academic Enterprise. London: Edward Elgar. Read More