Commonwealth Numbered Acts

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS REFORM ACT 1993 No. 98 of 1993 - SECT 4

4. Section 3 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section is
substituted: Objects of Act

"3. The principal object of this Act is to provide a framework for the
prevention and settlement of industrial disputes which promotes the economic
prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia by:

   (a)  encouraging and facilitating the making of agreements, between the
        parties involved in industrial relations, to determine matters
        pertaining to the relationship between employers and employees,
        particularly at the workplace or enterprise level; and

   (b)  providing the means for:

        (i)    establishing and maintaining an effective framework for
               protecting wages and conditions of employment through awards;
               and

        (ii)   ensuring that labour standards meet Australia's international
               obligations; and

   (c)  providing a framework of rights and responsibilities for the parties
        involved in industrial relations which encourages fair and effective
        bargaining and ensures that those parties abide by agreements between
        them; and

   (d)  enabling the Commission to prevent and settle industrial disputes:

        (i)    so far as possible, by conciliation; and

        (ii)   where necessary, by arbitration; and

   (e)  encouraging the organisation of representative bodies of employers and
        employees and their registration under this Act; and

   (f)  encouraging and facilitating the development of organisations,
        particularly by reducing the number of organisations in an industry or
        enterprise; and

   (g)  helping to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the basis of race,
        colour, sex, sexual preference, age, physical or mental disability,
        marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion,
        political opinion, national extraction or social origin.".