Australian Industral Relations Commission

The Industrial Relations Act 1988 established the Australian Industrial Relations Commission which replaced the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. Its main functions at present are as follows:

* to prevent and settle industrial disputes, so far as possible by conciliation, and as a last resort and within the limits specified by the Workplace Relations Act, by arbitration

* to ensure that a safety net of fair minimum wages and conditions of employment are maintained in the case of Transitional Awards

* to conciliate claims for relief in relation to termination of employment, and if necessary to arbitrate whether a termination is harsh, unjust or unreasonable

* to deal with matters concerning organisations, particularly registration, amalgamation, cancellation, representation rights, alteration of eligibility rules and change of name.

Recent adjustments to Federal industrial legislation in the form of an amended Workplace Relations Act 1996 by the conservative Liberal Government have limited the powers of Commission, particularly in respect to setting the minimum wage and certifying agreements. The only real powers left are arbitrating unfair dismissal claims that are still available to applicants who work for organisations with over 100 employees, settling various types of disputes and award 'simplification'. The adjustments to Legislation were opposed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Labor Party.

External links

* [http://www.airc.gov.au Australian Industrial Relations Commission website]