PROFESSIONALS Australia, the union group advocating for professionals in fields such as engineering, science, IT, pharmacy, management and others, has challenged the enterprise bargaining system in Australia.
In a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment, on the Impact of The Government's Workplace Bargaining Policy and Approach to Commonwealth Public Sector Bargaining, the organisation said there "has been a missed opportunity in the current agreement negotiations to embed initiatives that facilitate mentoring, succession planning and recognition of technical expertise and management across Australian Government employment".
Emphasising the central role of the health and science engineering workforce, the submission said this "missed opportunity is paired with significant transaction costs across Australian Government employment.
"It is difficult to be certain whether this is just a failure of stewardship, imagination or a workplace relations approach not suited to Government.
"There has to be a better way," the submission said, and argues for a range of options that addresses the power imbalance between employer and employee, whether in the private or public sector, as well as moves to a more co-operative model.
Four approaches are proposed: the ACT Public Sector approach, a one agreement for all approach, a default pay arrangement and a tribunal-managed pay and conditions option.
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