The paper argues for the retention of a strong industrial compliance regime in order to maintain Australia’s economic success.

The major improvements to the federal legislative compliance regime provided by the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 have delivered significant economic benefits to Australia through an increase in investor confidence.

The AMMA paper reviews how the current legislative framework governs unlawful industrial action, secondary boycotts and union right of entry, and argues that the system provides a fair and balanced compliance regime which is providing demonstrable benefits to the Australian economy.

While investor confidence has been assisted by the creation of a flexible industrial relations environment, legislative restrictions on the taking of industrial action and a program of education and enforcement in the construction sector have contributed substantially to a favourable outlook on Australia’s workplace relations. This is supported also by the fall in disputation levels to record lows in the last twelve months.

The paper argues that any weakening of the current compliance regime would be an open invitation to unions to put at risk our stable and harmonious workplaces and Australia’s economic prosperity. To water down or remove the current protections against unlawful industrial behaviour would amount to an act of economic vandalism.

A copy of the paper “Constructing Lawful Workplaces” can be viewed by clicking here.