Industrial Relations Act 2016

The purpose of this chapter is—

to facilitate collective bargaining by employees and employers, in good faith and with a view to reaching agreement, as the primary basis under this Act on which wages and employment conditions are decided; and

if the negotiating parties can not reach agreement, to provide for the commission to—

help the parties reach agreement or, if agreement can not be reached, reduce the matters in dispute; and

arbitrate the matter if conciliation is not successful; and

if the negotiating parties reach agreement, to enable the parties to—

make an agreement and apply to the commission for the agreement to be certified; or

in particular circumstances, apply to the commission for the making of a bargaining award and revocation of the modern award that covers the negotiating parties; and

to recognise the right of negotiating parties to take protected industrial action, if particular requirements are satisfied, as part of the collective bargaining process.