Industrial Relations Act 2016

The main purpose of this Act is to be achieved primarily by—

supporting a productive, competitive and inclusive economy, with strong economic growth, high employment, employment security, improved living standards and low inflation; and

promoting high-performing, apolitical State government and local government sectors that are responsive to democratically-decided priorities and focused on the delivery of public services in a professional and non-partisan way; and

promoting and facilitating security in employment and consultation about employment matters, technological change and organisational change; and

providing for a fair and equitable framework of employment standards, awards, determinations, orders and agreements; and

promoting productive and cooperative workplace relations including by recognising mutual obligations of trust and confidence in the employment relationship; and

providing for a guaranteed safety net of fair, relevant and enforceable minimum employment conditions through the Queensland Employment Standards; and

ensuring wages and employment conditions provide fair standards in relation to living standards prevailing in the community; and

promoting collective bargaining, including by—

providing for good faith bargaining; and

establishing the primacy of collective agreements over individual agreements; and

preventing and eliminating sexual harassment, sex or gender-based harassment, discrimination, bullying and other unfair treatment in employment; and

ensuring equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value; and

promoting diversity and inclusion in the workforce, including by providing a right for employees to request flexible working arrangements to help balance their work and family responsibilities; and

supporting employees experiencing domestic and family violence by conferring leave entitlements and protection from discrimination; and

encouraging fairness and representation at work, and the prevention of discrimination, by recognising the right to freedom of association, the right to organise and the right to be represented; and

encouraging representation of employees and employers by organisations that are registered under this Act; and

being responsive to emerging labour market trends and work patterns; and

providing for effective, responsive and accessible mechanisms to support negotiations and resolve industrial disputes; and

establishing an independent court and tribunal to facilitate fair, balanced and productive industrial relations; and

assisting in giving effect to Australia’s international obligations in relation to labour standards.Examples of ILO conventions ratified by Australia—

• the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948, No. 87

• the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949, No. 98

• the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951, No. 100

• the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958, No. 111

• the Employment Policy Convention, 1964, No. 122

• the Termination of Employment Convention, 1982, No. 158

• the Part-Time Work Convention, 1994, No. 175