Equal Employment Opportunity and Industrial Relations: The Path to Equality

Abstract

Since the passage of anti-discrimination legislation in Australia, there has been an increasing overlap between these new legislated areas and traditional industrial relations. Remedies for individual complaints of discrimination may now be handled in both arenas. Individual, complaint-based systems are limited in the remedies they offer and cannot redress discrimination that is perpetuated within organizational practices. Measures such as affirmative action programmes are needed to overcome this systemic discrimination. These have the potential to produce changes within an organization so that policies and practices become more accountable. These programmes will deal with many work issues that are also industrial relations issues. One major determinant of their success will be the amount and level of union consultation. The achievement of equal employment opportunity, through the new legislation and programmes in Australia is therefore inextricably tied to industrial relations.