Workers' Human Rights in Australia

The evolution of freedom of association in Australia's federal industrial relations law: from trade union security to workplace rights

“…136 Trade unions were, however, still able to secure important wins through the courts during this period against employers attempting to eliminate or reduce union influence from their workplaces. 137 The reasons for this are not clear; one explanation is that the original provisions which principally arose out of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act era and, importantly, the legal principles which were developed by case law over almost a century were inherently still part of the law. 138 The union's successes in Court did not, however, prevent union density decline.…”