1. How might changes in the paid parental leave system in Australia affect
women’s work flexicurity?
2. Why do some State Public Service Awards provide only minimal paid
paternity leave?
3. Why are enterprise agreements being terminated in ever increasing numbers
by the Fair Work Commission and does this reflect a failure in the enterprise
bargaining process?
4. How can the continued decrease in union membership figures be explained,
given that legislation does not seem to be a major factor in membership
decline?
5. Given that Australian wage levels for workers are at an all-time low, how will
issues such as the cuts to weekend penalty rates and the increased minimum
wage impact upon Australian workers?
6. Why is enterprise bargaining usually such a lengthy process, especially as
there are principles for good faith bargaining in the Fair Work Act 2009?
7. How will the gig economy affect traditional aspects of the industrial relations
system such as minimum wages, union membership, and industry awards?
8. How can gig economy workers’ rights be protected in the Australian industrial
relations system?
9. Why should companies have policies covering social media usage by
employees and how should these policies be implemented and managed?
10.How can a workforce be motivated in the face of plant closures
announcements such as the Hazelwood power station in Victoria (or Holden,
or Toyota), the Drayton coal mine in New South Wales, or the Ravensthorpe
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nickel mine in Western Australia and how should retrenchments/redundancies
be handled?
11.How do industrial relations protections such as minimum wages and national
employment standards benefit employees and how might they disadvantage
employers?
12.How should Australia’s wages system be enforced given the apparent
increase in wages theft by employers such as 7-Eleven?
13.Do players’ associations in professional sport equate with trade unions and
why are they needed if sportspeople have managers and players’ agents?
14.Why does the Federal Government regulate some industries more heavily
than others and does this improve productivity and industrial relations in those
industries?
15.Why does the Federal Coalition Government attempt to regulate trade unions
more strongly than employer associations?
16.How can large employers in Australia address slavery in their supply chain?