Key internet links on Employment Law
This guide contains links to Internet resources and documents in the area of federal employment law, as well as providing links to other guides and directories which contain material on State and Territory and overseas law.
Court and Tribunal decisions, law reports, awards, etc
AustLII
Select Federal Magistrates Court, Federal Court and High Court for federal employment decisions.
Industrial Relations Court
The Industrial Relations Court of Australia (IRCA) was established by the Industrial Relations Reform Act 1993. As a consequence of the Workplace Relations and other Legislation Amendment Act 1996, the Court's jurisdiction has been transferred to other Courts, mainly the Federal Court of Australia. On 25 May 1997 the staff and resources of the Industrial Relations Court of Australia were transferred to the Federal Court of Australia.
Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Now being superseded by Fair Work Australia
Fair Work Australia
The national workplace relations tribunal. Formerly Australian Industrial Relations Commission and Australian Fair Pay Commission
High Court Workchoices decision 2006
The Court decides that the Commonwealth has the constitutional power to legislate for the employees of corporations
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Government and Parliamentary Reports
2009
Senate Committee reports on the Rudd Government bills to reform employment law:
Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Fair Work Amendment (State Referrals and Other Measures) Bill 2009
Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009
Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Fair Work Bill 2008
Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations,Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008
2007
Working together: Inquiry into Options for a New National Industrial Relations System: final report (George Williams)
2006
Award Rationalisation (report of the Award Review Taskforce) and government response (released on 3 November 2006)
First minimum wage decision of the Australian Fair Pay Commission (announced on 26 October 2006)
2005
The Constitution and industrial relations: is a unitary system achievable? (Peter Prince and Thomas John, Parliamentary Library Research Brief no. 8, 2005–06)
Deakin Law Review Special Feature: Developments in Australian Workplace Laws (Vol. 10, issue 2):
Precedent and Policy: Australian Industrial Relations Reform in the 21st Century Using the Corporations Power (Anthony Gray)
The Australian Constitution and the Shaping of Our Federal and State Labour Laws (Ron McCallum)
The Constitution and a National Industrial Relations Regime (George Williams)
Ministerial Statement: Workplace Relations Reform (Prime Minister), 26 May 2005
Outline of the government’s reform plans
Justice at work: industrial citizenship and the corporatisation of Australian labour law: Kingsley Laffer Memorial Lecture, University of Sydney, 12 April (Ron McCallum)
Ability of the federal government to legislate for industrial relations using the corporations power
2004
Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration in Australia - A Centenary Reflection (M. Kirby), 22 October 2004
First Head Revisited: A Single Industrial Relations System under the Trade and Commerce Power (David McCann)
2003
Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry. Final Report
2001
Industrial relations law: call off the funeral (M. Kirby)
Provides an overview of key developments in federal industrial law since 1904
2000
Federal labour law and the new uses for corporations power (A. Stewart) .
1996 and earlier
1995 At the frontiers of labour law and corporate law: enterprise bargaining, corporations and employees (J. Hill)
1994 The Brereton Industrial Relations Act: power to some of the people: a guide through the confusion, instability and rhetoric of industrial relations reform (C. Peters)
1992 A Constitutional basis for the Federal Coalition's industrial relations policy – and related matters (S.E.K. Hulme)
1990 Employment laws and the Constitution [History of Commonwealth industrial law] (C. Howard)
1986 Constitutional aspects of deregulating the labour market (I.C.F. Spry)
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