The Australian Example

This is what, in fact, the South Australian Government has set out to do: its Unit for Industrial Democracy (a section of the Labour Department) has assisted about a dozen firms to introduce participation programmes, and about half of the government departments and public utilities. It hopes that by introducing the concept in its own workplaces, this will be an example for private industry and business to follow. This idea of a unit within the Labour Department holds some merit. But how free from political interference or policy is the Labour Department?

Consider the South Australian unit: while it is under the sponsorship of a Labour Government, its life is assured. The leader of the Liberal Opposition has confided, however, that under a Liberal Government it would survive only as a eunuch. Australian industry and business faces the prospect of legislative coercion. And, really, they have asked for it. Unlike their New Zealand counterparts, Australian employers are fearful of employee involvement, and are fighting it. They will therefore be Made to do it.

Here, the interest is widespread. The interest first showed up at the Employers Federation's national convention last year, which featured a session on worker participation. The interest led to the publication by the federation of an introduction and guide to employee involvement. Interest was further whetted by the booklet (15,000 have been distributed). Now, the federation is in the process of appointing a full-time adviser who can develop practical programmes for the implementation of schemes and who can go out into workplaces to assist both management and employees to get closer together.

The federation is fostering the concept out of a firm belief that industrial relations can never be improved by legislative means: improvement can only come at the workplace as management and employee learn to talk to one another and to understand each other's point of view.