Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2012

Abstract

The year 2012 saw a number of initiatives and debates around measures that directly and indirectly affect women's working conditions. This article first considers the extent of women's workforce participation, an issue that has informed both policy debates and legislative changes over the last year. It then briefly assesses the potential of the Fair Work Act Review and the ongoing Modern Awards Review to improve women's working conditions, before turning to action on a number of fronts. Pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment have remained a constant in Australian anti-discrimination jurisdictions for many years. However, in 2012, there was also strong enforcement action by the Fair Work Ombudsman in cases of pregnancy discrimination, a new sexual harassment prevalence survey and the second phase of the Treatment of Women in Defence Review. Apart from the Social and Community Sector equal pay case, finalised in February 2012. Action 'outside' formal equal pay provisions also saw potential gains for the predominantly female and low-paid workforces in aged care and childcare.

Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2014

“…While specific employer and union claims are not yet in the public domain, it seems likely that several issues brought by employers as part of the 2012 Interim Review of Modern Awards will be canvassed again. These include those likely to have a gendered impact such as making part-time provisions more ‘flexible’ through increasing employers’ prerogative to vary work hours (Charlesworth, 2013). One issue that has arisen already in respect to the current Modern Award Review is a proposal to reduce some penalty rates in retail and hospitality awards, including the loading for work on Sundays (FWC, 2014c).…”

“…Since the 1990s, however, the lack of parliamentary oversight or accountability and a lack of community consultation have contributed to the stalled progress towards gender equality in Australia (Sawer, 2014: 371). This is most recently reflected in the demise of the Select Council on Women’s Issues that in 2013 was developing a national framework for gender equality (Charlesworth and Macdonald, 2014: 392). While not sufficient on its own, an explicit national policy framework would enhance the potential to realise an inclusive gender equality architecture that would support progress to decent work for the wide variety of women who constitute the female labour force.…”

Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2013

“…The $1.2bn Aged Care Workforce Compact was to have provided wage supplements to aged care providers who signed up to enterprise agreements committing to above-award wage increases. This initiative had significant potential to improve wages as well as working conditions in the sector (Charlesworth, 2013). The Coalition opposed the scheme in Opposition on the grounds that the enterprise agreement requirement favoured unionised workforces and that it was costly and increased the regulatory burden on employers (Coalition, 2013b: 6).…”

“…The first WGE instrument made under the WGE Act contains the specific workplace gender equality reporting requirements for 2013–2014 and additional requirements for subsequent years when the Act is fully operational. A welcome inclusion in the instrument is a gender equality indicator for sexual harassment, a matter which had not been included among indicators in the Act despite the recognised significance of sexual harassment as a barrier to workplace gender equality (see Charlesworth, 2013: 381).…”

Beyond ‘Token’ Firefighters: Exploring Women's Experiences of Gender and Identity at Work

“…Central to this debate is the assertion that organizations mobilize a masculine bias that is entrenched in the hierarchical structure of the organization. The solutions that are frequently suggested favor the examination of gender reform policies and managerial influences in gendered practices (Charlesworth 2013). This paper argues, however, that day-to-day interactions account for the continuation of gendered cultures and beliefs inside male dominated organizations.…”