In this assignment, you will prepare a report to the Federal Minister of Employment, proving an analysis of the magnitude of union membership decline in Australia over the last 40 years. and the reasons for this decline.
You are a researcher working for Senator the Hon Tony Burke, Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Senator Burke has asked you to undertake some research on trends in union membership in Australia. He has just returned from a meeting of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), where he learned that Union membership in Australia is still experiencing a decline. Politics aside, he is keen to find out what factors are causing this decline and the implication of the decline for labour market regulation in Australia – and for Federal Government policy in this area. Burke has asked you to explore this decline in union membership in Australia and provide him with a 2000 word report by 26 March. In particular, he has asked you to:
• outline the magnitude of the decline in union membership in Australia over the last 40 years • explore the academic research and commentaries to outline the four main antecedents (or causes) of this decline in trade union membership and to discuss the implications of these findings for the process of collective bargaining in Australia.
Instructions You are to provide a report for Senator Burkewith the following components:
• An executive summary Graphs or tables demonstrating the magnitude of union decline in Australia over the last 40 years or so • clearly marked sections outlining the 4 main antecedents (or causes) of union membership decline, supported by key studies and commentaries from academics and other labour market commentators a concluding section identifying the implications of your findings on the process of collective bargaining in Australia, supported by clear reasoning. • a reference list of the sources referenced in the report. Senator Burke likes the APA referencing style – see LTU Library Referencing Tool.