Industrial Agreements And Work/Family Provisions: Trends And Prospects Under ‘Enterprise Bargaining’

Abstract

The trend towards enterprise and individual level bargaining in Australia over the 1990s has been accompanied by a number of claims about associated ‘work/family’ benefits. However, analysis of agreements shows a low incidence of measures designed specifically for this purpose, and the steady increase evident since the mid-1990s appears to have stalled in recent years. Moreover, provisions in agreements are unevenly distributed, being most prevalent in the public sector and in unionised agreements, and comparatively rare in male dominated agreements and those recording high wage increases. Limitations of delivery of work/family measures through agreements include their vulnerability in the bargaining environment and a tendency to be countered by provisions that limit hours flexibility and control. Thus although agreements may be more reliable providers of work/family benefits than alternatives such as company policies, their ideal role would be as an adjunct to legislative and welfare provisions that ensure basic provisions are non-negotiable.