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Industrial relations - Suggested Answers
Activity 1
Visit the
NSW Department of Industrial Relations 
web site and answer the following question.
What is the mission of the Department of Industrial Relations?
Our mission is to work with employees, employers and their representatives to facilitate equitable, innovative and productive workplace relations.
Source: NSW Department of Industrial relations web site. 25 February 2003. http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/
Activity 2
Visit the
NSW Department of Industrial Relations
web site click on awards and enterprise agreements and answer the
following questions.
When an industrial award is made what does it usually deal with?
An industrial award usually deals with:
- conditions of employment such as hours of employment
- pay rates
- penalty rates
- loadings
- allowances
- leave entitlements
- employment protection provisions
- part-time or casual work.
Source: NSW Department of Industrial relations web site. 25 February 2003. http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/rights/employee/
Activity 3
Visit the
NSW Department of Industrial Relations
web site and click on awards and enterprise agreement. Use the
following table to show the difference between an
award and an enterprise agreement.
| An award is: | An enterprise agreement is: |
|---|---|
| An award is a legal document
setting out the minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment which apply to
employees in a particular industry or occupation. The “parties” to an award are an employer, one or more employer organisations and trade unions representing the employees. The award must be approved by the Industrial Relations Commission. An award is legally enforceable. This means that if a person or an organisation breaches the award, legal penalties may be imposed. |
An enterprise agreement sets out the minimum conditions of employment for employees engaged in particular types of work in the same way as an award. However, unlike most awards, enterprise agreements are specific to a particular enterprise or project. Enterprise agreements are negotiated voluntarily between an employer and either the employees concerned or a union on the behalf of those employees (the parties). |
| The difference between an award and an enterprise agreement is that: | |
|
|
Source: NSW Department of Industrial relations web site. 25 February 2003.
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/rights/employee/
Activity 4
Visit the
Department of Industrial Relations
web site. Click on a letter of the alphabet to locate information about an award
in your focus area. For example "F" for Furniture Trades. Answer
the following question.
For an industry related to your focus area determine the
employment conditions from the specific award. Use the following table as a guide.
Example: Timber and furnishing industries
| Condition | Implementation |
|---|---|
| wage rate | Carpenter Group 6 $546.10 per week |
| sick leave | An employee is entitled to one day at the beginning of each calendar month for the first ten months. An employee who has completed one year of continuous employment shall be credited with a further ten days. Sick leave with an employer shall accumulate from year to year |
| first aid | An employee who is a qualified first-aid person and is appointed by the employer to carry out first-aid duties in addition to their usual duties shall be paid an additional amount |
| annual leave | An employee is entitled to a period of 28 consecutive days, exclusive of any public holidays occurring during the period |
| hours of work | The ordinary working
hours shall be 38 or an average of 38 hours per week worked on the following
basis: Ordinary hours shall be worked as a 20 day, four week cycle of eight hours each on Monday to Friday, inclusive, between the hours of 6.00 am and 7.00 pm |
Source: NSW Department of Industrial
relations web site. 25 February 2003.
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/NSW_State_Awards/Which_award.html
|