/sen/ - The Senate

ACTION

Organised Labour Act

Purpose: To define and regulate relations between workers, trade unions and employers.

Definition of worker: An individual paid a wage or salary in exchange for selling their labour power.

Definition of trade union: An organisation of workers that exists to improve conditions and pay for workers.

Definition of employer: An individual who purchases labour power from workers and profits from their labour.

1. Every worker has the right to join or form a trade union. This right cannot be infringed by employers under any circumstance. Such infringements may include, but are not limited to, the following:
a) Terminating employment on the basis of unionisation
b) Reducing pay of unionised workers (On this basis)
c) Harassing or assaulting unionised workers (Or encouraging others to do so)
d) Bans on unions or union activity

2. Trade unions have the right to appoint 2 members to a company's board of directors and appoint a workplace safety commissioner. The role and function of a workplace safety commissioner is to:
a) Advise workers and employers on workplace safety issues
b) Report breaches of safety rules to unions and employers
c) On the failure of employers to commit to a safe workplace, be permitted to encourage industrial action.

3. Workers and trade unions have the right to use industrial action in order to win improved conditions or pay. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a) Strike action, including general strikes, secondary strikes, wildcat strikes, sympathy strikes and workplace occupation.
c) Slowdowns or 'go-slows'.
d) Work-to-rule.
e) Picketing and protesting outside of a workplace to discourage non-unionised members from continuing work.

4. Trade unions are able to use their collective power to negotiate pay and other conditions on behalf of individual workers, providing consent from the individual worker. Negotiations can be with one employer or industry wide (Pattern bargaining).