Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW)

Industrial Relations Act 1996 No 17

An Act to reform the law concerning industrial relations, and to repeal the Industrial Relations Act 1991.

Chapter 1 Preliminary

1 Name of Act This Act is the Industrial Relations Act 1996.

2 Commencement This Act commences on a day or days to be appointed by proclamation.

3 Objects The objects of this Act are as follows— (a) to provide a framework for the conduct of industrial relations that is fair and just, (b) to promote efficiency and productivity in the economy of the State, (c) to promote participation in industrial relations by employees and employers at an enterprise or workplace level, (d) to encourage participation in industrial relations by representative bodies of employees and employers and to encourage the responsible management and democratic control of those bodies, (e) to facilitate appropriate regulation of employment through awards, enterprise agreements and other industrial instruments, (f) to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the workplace and in particular to ensure equal remuneration for men and women doing work of equal or comparable value, (g) to provide for the resolution of industrial disputes by conciliation and, if necessary, by arbitration in a prompt and fair manner and with a minimum of legal technicality, (h) to encourage and facilitate co-operative workplace reform and equitable, innovative and productive workplace relations, (i) to encourage strategies to attract and retain skilled staff where there are skill shortages so as to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services.

4 Dictionary (1) Expressions used in this Act (or in a particular provision of this Act) that are defined in the Dictionary at the end of this Act have the meanings given to them in the Dictionary. (2) Key expressions used in this Act are defined in the following provisions of this Chapter.