Queensland Consolidated Acts

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT 2016 - SECT 4

4 How main purpose is primarily achieved

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

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

(b) 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

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

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

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

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

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

(h) promoting collective bargaining, including by—

(i) providing for good faith bargaining; and

(ii) establishing the primacy of collective agreements over individual agreements; and

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

(j) ensuring equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value; and

(k) 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

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

(m) 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

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

(o) being responsive to emerging labour market trends and work patterns; and

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

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

(r) 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