Australia has shifted from a highly centralized wage determination system to a decentralized system for the most part. Through 96 workplace related laws, companies have been negotiated from contracts and incentives. Recent policies include unfair dismissal requests and changes in the 2005 workplace reform program. Throughout the 20th century, Australia has determined wage and non-wage outcomes and has maintained a court system to support industrial conflict resolution. Institutional forces will affect the operation of free markets, such as guaranteeing minimum wages and minimum conditions, to improve labor market results.
In short, the current wage determination process in Australia is a more decentralized system, where negotiations between employees and employers are becoming more important factors in determining wage levels. Labor unions, AIRC, government, and individuals will participate in the wage determination process. In my opinion, a distributed system provides more for employees because it is easier to work on a production basis and gets more effort and more rewards. However, as the centralized approach is abandoned, it seems that the Australian economy and wage decisions process is heading towards a more powerful direction, so some aspects can still continue.
Both labor union and wage decisions are widely debated on the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. Below is a summary of some of the ways used to determine wages in Australia and the most important strengths and weaknesses of corporate negotiations. Recent trends in wage decisions and some impacts are discussed. In New South Wales, employers and employees have access to federal or state labor relations systems and are free to use. However, Australia has recently backed a more fragmented wage negotiation system. This is reflected in wages determined in markets that help increase the influence of employers, changes in political will and unemployment.
Through the Federal Industrial Court of Australia, the principle of equal wage for equal labor in 1969 and 1972 was adopted, and in the Federal Labor Law the right of equal wages for equality work was first established. With Australia's unique wage determination system, wage disparities between men and women have been sharply reduced by applying these principles. Prior to these developments, according to the mandatory mediation and arbitration system, women's wages were usually defined as part of men, but women assumed that they are "not supporting their families". In 1969, gender discrimination in this institutionalized wage decision was officially ended when the Federal Industry Court implemented the principle of "equal salary for equal work" in wage decisions. This measure is applied only to the situation of "gender labor's identity or similarity", so the impact is limited.