... change now acts as a safety net of fair and enforceable minimum wages and conditions. Benefits beyond this system must be settled at the workplace level through workplace agreements. Australia's previous industrial relations systems emphasized the settlement of disputes by third parties such as tribunals, unions and employer associations rather than encouraging employers and employees to reach responsible solutions based on their own workplace organisations and needs (Reith: 1997). The WRA, however, encouraged direct employee-employer relations in making agreements and thus reducing the role of third parties (Dept of Workplace Relations & Small Business: 1998). Employers and employees can choose to enter into formalized agreements, such as Australian workplace agreements (AWAs), which are individual agreements, or certified agreements (CAs), which cover employees collectively (Dept of Workplace Relations & Small Business: 1998). However, these agreements need to be tested as per the "no-disadvantage test" to ensure the agreement did not result ...

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