Outline
Major groups in the workplace can include:
Unions
- Trade unions are organisations which look after worker’s rights and conditions in an industry.
- Employees can approach and bargain with employers through a union for better wages, working conditions, fair treatment, and more.
- In 1927, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) was formed and all individual unions became affiliated with the ACTU.
Union decline
Union membership since then has declined, because of economic restructuring in the heavily unionised manufacturing sector.
- In the 1950s, union membership was ~60% of the workforce. In 2022, this is now ~12%.
- Younger workers are less likely to a part of a union.
- This can potentially have happened because of the rise of casual / part-time work.
Employer associations
- Employer associations are organisations formed by employees or businesses within a specific industry or sector.
- They represent the interest and concerns of the employers.
The role of employer associations is to:
- Represent employers at national wage cases
- Provide advice and assistance on issues such as tax.