Australian Industrial Relations Systems

Kenneth Walker's 1956 publication, Industrial Relations in Australia, was acclaimed as the first full-scale analysis of the factors shaping Australian industrial relations. Significant developments during the ensuing years, however, necessitated a thorough reevaluation of the field. In his revised book Walker examines these extensive developments, reorganizes his approach, incorporates much additional material, and, in general, provides a more comprehensive view of Australian industrial relations. The organizing theme of this new work is John T. Dunlop's concept of the industrial relations system, which the author applies to the Australian situation, distinguishing among national, state, industry, and plant systems.

The second edition of Introduction to Employment Relations takes a broad-based approach to the subject of workplace relations in Australia. Employment relations encompasses all aspects of people at work whereas, historically, industrial relations (IR) and human resource management (HRM) have focused on distinct aspects. The focus of IR is on collective approaches to employment, while for HRM, the emphasis is on more individual approaches. In keeping with its broad-based approach, the book covers the organisation of work, unions and employer associations, awards and agreements, staffing and development, managing performance and rewards, in addition to identifying and explaining the major changes in employment relations in recent years. This book is suitable for introductory courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The field of employment and industrial relations is undergoing dramatic changes in the developed world; whilst developing economies are also experiencing their own shifts in practice and policy. The chapters in this collection provide detailed and up-to-date analyses of industrial relations developments in four contrasting economies: Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Vietnam. Readers are invited to make a comparative study of these very different regions and regimes. Chapters are contributed by leading authorities in employment and industrial relations and make the complex detail of new industrial relations laws easy to understand. This book is designed for students and scholars of employment and industrial relations, and provides an excellent reference for practitioners and students of labour economics and international and comparative human resource management.

Aust Labour & Employment Law