The proportion of Australian employees who were trade union members has declined from 22 per cent in August 2005 to 20 per cent in August 2006. Private Sector membership is down to 15%. In the non-coal resource sector union membership has fallen from 13.4 to 11.3% - less than one in six employees is a member of a union

Discussing the new release AMMA General Manager for Workplace Policy, Mr Platt said, “This reinforces the need for the ALP’s alternative Industrial Relations system to embrace all forms of agreement including those relevant to non-unionised workforces, and in particular provision of statutory non-union individual and collective agreements.”

“Since 1996 resources sector AWAs have resulted in improved wages, greater investment in training, improved safety outcomes and reduced disputation. WorkChoices is working in the resource sector.”

“Today’s figures further highlight that proposals to restore privileges to the Union Bosses to control of Australian workplaces belongs to a bygone era”

“To survive in the international competitive resource environment you need to run fast to stand still. The resource sector can’t afford to wind the clock back and allow union bosses to run the business”