The effects of protective legislation on occupational segregation in the United States and Australia

Gender-specific protective labour laws are considered unacceptable by many analysts because it is presumed they must necessarily adversely affect employment opportunities for women. This paper reviews United States research which has sought to assess the validity of this assumption; and reports on the impact of these laws within Australia. The assumption that gender-specific labour laws adversely affect female employment opportunities is not supported by United States research or Australian data. It is concluded that a reform strategy centred on simple abolition may involve loss of employee protection without necessarily producing any compensating increase in opportunities for women

Research assistants in the clever country

This paper examines the employment conditions of research assistants in universities in the context of the stated intention of the Australian government to transform Australia into the \u27clever country\u27. Research assistants have played an important role in Australia\u27s research efforts. The growing teaching and administrative workloads of academic staff, and the increasing sophistication and complexity of research methodologies, have increased the demands on research assistants and the importance of their contribution. Despite this, there has been little improvement in the employment conditions of research assistants. These conditions include the absence of any job security; lack of career structure and development; and insufficient recognition of qualifications, experience and skills. Research assistants have no common career structure, some being employed under academic staff conditions, others under general staff conditions and some as neither. Union coverage of research assistants is divided between several unions, making effective representation difficult. The rules of the funding agencies, the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Council are inconsistent with award conditions of research assistants which specify that prior experience must be taken into account when determining initial salary levels. These sub-standard employment conditions act as deterrents to talented researchers undertaking or continuing careers in research, and thus undermine Australia\u27s research effort. The reports of several government inquiries into university research activity are analysed, and are found to be inadequately researched and to provide no solutions to the problems outlined. Suggestions for the provision of a viable career structure for researchers are provided. It is concluded that the development of Australia as a \u27clever country\u27 depends to a large extent on research workers becoming more actively involved in the promotion of improved conditions of employment

Determinants of Members' Satisfaction with their Union

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The Decline of Union Density: A Review

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Trade Union Non-industrial Services: Membership Attitudes

The provision of non-industrial services has been usually regarded as a minor sideline of unionism, and the subject has accordingly not attracted much research interest. However, because of the slump in union density within Australia over the past decade, the provision of such services has been discussed within a number of trade unions as a possible means of either recruiting new members or retaining existing members. This study analyses the level of members' interest in such services. In particular, it explores the attitudes of members of a large amalgamated union towards the provision of discounts on a range of goods and services, and whether or not it is possible to identify groups of people most likely to be interested in using such services

Legislative Changes in Australasian Industrial Relations 1984-1997

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Industrial Relations Implications of the Australian Waterside Dispute

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