Essay assignment -
Choose TWO from the following four options, they are of equal value:
1. What have been the fundamental objectives behind the establishment of non-union forms of employee representation in your workplace and/or in the industry in which you were employed? (If you like you can focus on one of your former workplaces and/or industries in which you once worked). Have these non-union forms of representation succeeded in their objectives? If so, why? If not, why not?
2. As from 1 July 2013, the Fair Work Act was amended to provide employees, who are victims of domestic violence, to negotiate flexible working arrangements with their employers. Why was this legislative amendment put in place? In your view, is this legislative reform justified or unjustified? If you, as the human resource manager, had received such a request, how would you deal with it?
3. Consider recent enterprise bargaining processes and outcomes in your place of employment. Were the knowledge and skills invested in the making of the enterprise bargaining agreement satisfactory or otherwise? If so, why? If not, why not? (It is suggested that you provide a pseudonym to the identity of your employer. You may focus your assessment on the management, on the trade union representing the employees, or on both parties).
4. You may have read about the bitterly disputed enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) between Victoria's Firefighters Union and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) from recent news articles. The Fair Work Commission has ruled in favour of Victoria's Firefighters' Union, sparking political unrest which resulted in the sacking of the entire CFA board (2); the resignations of Victoria's Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett (1) and, that of CFA Chief Executive Lucinda Nolan. Do you agree with Fair Work Commission's ruling? If so, why then has it caused so much unrest? If not, what should it be and why?
Read more:
(1) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-10/emergency-services-minister-jane-garrett-resigns-from-cabinet/7499334
(2) https://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cfa-crisis-chief-executive-lucinda-nolan-resigns-20160617-gplp2g.html