Rights to a voice at work

As in many other governance areas, this Federal Labor Government has an exceptional opportunity to revamp the adversarial industrial relations culture.

Surely it is not a matter of turning the clock back to some more acceptable stage of adversarialism but rather to catch up with what has been happening in other parts of the world for a long time.

The oft-heard catch cry about industrial relations "the Australian Way" clearly has connotations of either the Coalition way or the Labor way.

Could it be that this won't do anymore?

The dominant adversarial culture has thwarted the development towards participation in decision-making at the workplace level.

Earlier exceptions, such as Lend Lease, Dynavac, and a dozen others perhaps, have never scored as Best Alternative Practice.

Australia needs to consider legislation to give employees effective voice in their workplaces.

This could include the setting up of works councils or enterprise councils and the introduction of employee (staff) directors on a rotation basis.

Employee share ownership is one additional way to achieve an alternative culture promoted here by the Employee Share Ownership Association since 1986, with very modest success.

The 2000 Report Shared Endeavours, commissioned by the Howard Government, looked like a step in the right direction, which could be improved upon greatly by the dissenting ALP politicians who participated in that inquiry, including Julia Gillard.

The Rights at Work spirit can be extended to a new direction and a new culture: Rights to employee shares as well as voice in decision-making.

Trade unions in many other countries certainly subscribe to that view.

Klaas Woldring Pearl Beach