Two and Two Make Five: Industrial Relations and the Gentle Art of Doublethink

Braham Dabscheck

The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2005, vol. 15, issue 2, 181-198

Abstract: The paper employs George Orwell's notion of doublethink in examining three contemporary industrial relations issues. They are the Cole Royal Commission into the building and construction industry, bargaining fees and employee entitlements. The Cole Royal Commission was an inquisition into the heresy of unionism. The decision of a Full Bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission on bargaining fees has found that collective bargaining does not pertain to the employer-employee relationship. This decision encourages free-riding to weaken unions. On the other hand, various employee entitlement schemes, developed by the Australian government, to meet obligations of companies to employees when the former collapse, enable, or encourage, companies to free-ride on the backs of taxpayers. The paper concludes with the observation that a bleak future awaits unions.

Date: 2005
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:15:y:2005:i:2:p:181-198

DOI: 10.1177/103530460501500202

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