“A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist,” is a quote normally attributed to US humourist Franklin P. Jones.
It’s apposite under the Secure Job, Better Pay bargaining regime as employers might find themselves stuck with an enterprise bargaining agreement that they don’t want. And, given that unions can compel employers to adopt a bargain struck by third parties, they really cannot resist the price.
There are four bargaining streams in the Secure Jobs Act, which amends the Fair Work Act.
The first, “Single Enterprise Bargaining” is a one-employer deal.
The other three are all multi-employer bargaining processes. These are:
- “Co-operative Workplace Bargaining”;
- “Supported Bargaining”; and
- “Single Interest Enterprise Bargaining”.
