Índice de cosecha

were relatively high (in comparison to the seventies). Pay and Allowances were the issues that dominated strike action, while bans favoured Demarcation disputes with Allowances in 1981 in support of strike action6 . While strikes increased slightly in 1982, the number of bans fell sharply. Pay was a first issue for strikes and second issue for bans; no other issues were shared.

ACT Strikes and Bans - 1980-87

s b b 87 s 87 b 86 s 86 b 85 s 85 to _{b 84} s 84 E 13 b 83 z _{s 83} b 82 s 82 b 81 s 81 b 80 s 80 ' / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / , ' / / / / / / / / / / / strikes bans 40 60 80 Figure 18E(ii) 120 ■ Pay E3 Allow. H Super. 0 Conds. □ Hours ■ Hlth & Saf. Ü Job Maint. [3 Mann. □ Cont. Lab. □ Union ■ Demarc. □ Man. Pol. EQ Political □ Log of Claims E3 Other

Strike activity declined in 1983, while bans rose to a peak level. There were no common issues. From 1984-86, strikes remained low and increased to their peak in 1987. During the same period, bans had started to fall. Over this latter period, there was a much greater tendency for strikes and bans to reflect the same concerns, with emphases on Conditions, Manning, Hours and Contract Labour in contrast to the early eighties when Pay and Allowances had dominated. In this context it should also be noted that between 1985-87, although there was a decline in bans, and until 1987, strikes were low, both activities involved a greater number of issues (that qualified as first or second) than normal.

Between 1974-80, first and second issues occupied the majority of bans. From 1981- 84, this trend was reversed. In those years 1982 was the exception: major issues accounted for 64.6 per cent. However, 1982 was also a year when the number of bans fell quite markedly. In 1985, when the number of bans decreased, the major issues as a

percentage of total bans, increased. This was also the period when a more structured relationship between strikes and bans emerged.

6 . 2 . CONCLUSION

States which experienced the highest numbers of strikes were more likely to show clear cut first and second issues.7 That is not to say that those states had a narrower range of issues which was not the case. Rather, the larger number made for clearer identification of the issues involving the highest disputation. As the analysis indicated, in NSW for example, the major issues only once accounted for half the total number of strikes. While the percentages share varied amongst the high strike states, it was rare for them to attain the same levels as the states in which fewer strikes were recorded.8 Notwithstanding the differences mentioned above, a change in trend was identified in all states, usually from 1982 or 1983 onwards. As far as the larger strike states were concerned, in NSW, from 1973-82, Pay, Dismissals and Managerial Policy dominated, while from 1983, Managerial Policy, Allowances and issues concerned with security of employment were prominent. Pay, Conditions and Log of Claims occupied the 1973-82 period in Victoria with Pay, Allowances, Superannuation and in one year only, Job Maintenance in the latter period. In Queensland, Pay, Conditions, Dismissals, Managerial Policy and Log of Claims were at the forefront between 1973-82. With Conditions and Managerial Policy remaining, Dismissals, Hours, Contract Labour and Health & Safety became major issues. Western Australia, between 1973-83 was dominated by Managerial Policy and Conditions. Pay was also a major issue although it did not feature between 1978-81, and in some years, Union was prominent. From 1984, Conditions, Managerial Policy and security of employment became the major concerns.

In respect of the smaller strike states, Pay, Allowances and Conditions, plus an assortment of other issues accounted for first and second issues in South Australia between 1973-82. From 1983 onwards, Superannuation and issues concerned with security of employment became dominant. Between 1973-82 in Tasmania, Pay Dismissals and Managerial Policy were the major issues. From 1983 onwards, Pay (to a lesser extent), Allowances and Contract Labour featured. In the Northern Territory, Pay, Allowances and Managerial Policy were the main issues between 1973-87, while Managerial Policy, Health and Safety and issues concerned with security of employment occupied the 1983-87 period. Pay and job security issues dominated the 1976-82 years in the ACT, with Superannuation added to job security between 1983-87.

7That is, NSW, Victoria, Queensland and West Australia.

extent, in all states. From 1983, coinciding with the downturn in strike levels in most states, there was a change in trend. This was the case even in those states which did not have an overall decline in strike numbers. Pay ceased to be a major issue in all states except Victoria and Tasmania where, even so, it declined in importance. Managerial Policy continued to be a major issue in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and ACT. The most significant feature of the trend between 1983-87 however, was the upsurge in issues associated with security of employment. Although these issues (including Job Maintenance, Manning and Contract Labour) had been the cause of strike action in the earlier period (particularly in the ACT), they achieved much greater prominence from 1983 onwards.

In Chapter Four, the levels of strikes and bans were looked at to identify trends that occurred in each state. With the exceptions of Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and ACT, an overall decline in strike numbers was noted in the remaining states from between 1980-82. The decline in strike numbers was accompanied by an increase in bans as a percentage of industrial action, and in some states represented an increase in numbers. This trend was evident also in those states in which strike activity did not experience an overall decline, except for the Northern Territory. In Chapter Five, the trend was identified in terms of changes when Pay, Allowances and Log of Claims were the issues. This chapter has sought to identify trends as far as the whole range of issues were concerned. The analysis in both parts has not concerned itself with bans except in South Australia and the ACT where they were generally the preferred form of industrial action.

A further dimension was added when the causes on a state and industry basis were considered. In summary the overall decline in strikes during the 1980s was accompanied by a decline in the number of disputes over Pay. While the initial observation of these two facts may lead towards the conclusion that a decline in Pay disputes is causative, the concomitant reduction of Pay as a percentage of disputes suggests that such a conclusion may be an oversimplification. During this period, particularly after 1983 when a much more decided change is evident in the level and forms of industrial disputation, the issues which were classified as major issues, underwent a transformation that, although not uniform in each state, nevertheless indicated a changed industrial climate. One of the factors which arose in regard to Pay, was the increase in Allowances as a percentage of disputation, and its relative stability in terms of numbers. Another pronounced feature at this point was the overall increase in job security issues in both numbers and as a percentage of

Further analysis of these two coinciding trends revealed traits that were characteristic of individual states or industries. A picture emerged whereby basic trends were identified that constituted a set of issues which were shared in each state and industry. They were Pay, Allowances, Job Maintenance, Union, Demarcation, Managerial Policy, Conditions and Log of Claims. In addition, a further set of issues that were relevant to particular states or industries were also identified. While the former set of issues remained relatively constant throughout, their status as major issues was affected by changes in levels of disputation and the emergence of issues from the latter group to positions of prominence. Variations were most noticeable upon appraisal of the issues which gained prominence in individual states and industries while being almost non­ existent in others. Similarities, apart from the core set, were also identifiable from individual analysis. The Hours campaign between 1979-81 for example, was of national significance.