Commonwealth Numbered Acts

WORKPLACE RELATIONS AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 1996 No. 60, 1996 - SCHEDULE 1

Schedule 1-The principal object of the Workplace 
Relations Act 1996  Workplace Relations Act 1996
1 Section 3 Repeal the section, substitute: 3 Principal object of this Act
The principal object of this Act is to provide a framework for cooperative
workplace relations which promotes the economic prosperity and welfare of the
people of Australia by:

   (a)  encouraging the pursuit of high employment, improved living standards,
        low inflation and international competitiveness through higher
        productivity and a flexible and fair labour market; and

   (b)  ensuring that the primary responsibility for determining matters
        affecting the relationship between employers and employees rests with
        the employer and employees at the workplace or enterprise level; and

   (c)  enabling employers and employees to choose the most appropriate form
        of agreement for their particular circumstances, whether or not that
        form is provided for by this Act; and

   (d)  providing the means:

        (i)    for wages and conditions of employment to be determined as far
               as possible by the agreement of employers and employees at the
               workplace or enterprise level, upon a foundation of minimum
               standards; and

        (ii)   to ensure the maintenance of an effective award safety net of
               fair and enforceable minimum wages and conditions of
               employment; and

   (e)  providing a framework of rights and responsibilities for employers and
        employees, and their organisations, which supports fair and effective
        agreement-making and ensures that they abide by awards and agreements
        applying to them; and

   (f)  ensuring freedom of association, including the rights of employees and
        employers to join an organisation or association of their choice, or
        not to join an organisation or association; and

   (g)  ensuring that employee and employer organisations registered under
        this Act are representative of and accountable to their members, and
        are able to operate effectively; and

   (h)  enabling the Commission to prevent and settle industrial disputes as
        far as possible by conciliation and, where appropriate and within
        specified limits, by arbitration; and

   (i)  assisting employees to balance their work and family responsibilities
        effectively through the development of mutually beneficial work
        practices with employers; and

   (j)  respecting and valuing the diversity of the work force by 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; and

   (k)  assisting in giving effect to Australia's international obligations in
        relation to labour standards.