Industrial relations commission

An industrial relations commission generally refers to bodies created by the governments of the Australian states or the Commonwealth to adjudicate employment related matters such as disputes or determining wages and conditions. Under the Australian constitution industrial commissions at the Commonwealth (federal) level are branches of the executive government and not courts, although at state level, commissions may also sit as courts.

Current industrial commissions

Level Name Sectors Ref
Commonwealth (federal) Fair Work Commission Public sectors of the Commonwealth, the Territories* and Victoria, local government of Tasmania, private sector corporations at all levels
New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales State public sector and local government
Queensland Queensland Industrial Relations Commission State public sector and local government
South Australia South Australian Employment Tribunal State public sector and local government, private sector employees not employed by a corporation
Tasmania Tasmanian Industrial Commission State public sector
Victoria None Other than law enforcement and higher level state sector employees, Fair Work Commission covers employees
Western Australia Western Australia Industrial Relations Commission State public sector and local government, private sector employees not employed by a corporation and, if the parties agree, mediate if a corporation
Note: Law enforcement in the Northern Territory not covered by the Fair Work Commission

Previous industrial commissions

Level Name Years of operation Ref
Commonwealth Australian Industrial Relations Commission 1989−2010
Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission 1973−1989
Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission 1956−1973
Australian Fair Pay Commission 2006−2009

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, Andrew (2025). Creighton and Stewart's Labour Law. Anthony Forsyth, Mark A. Irving (7th ed.). Sydney: Federation Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-1-76002-392-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Who Australia's national workplace relations system covers". Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "About Us". Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "About SAET". SAET. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "About us". Tasmanian Industrial Commission. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "About us". Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Corcoran, Robert; Dickenson, Jacqueline (2010). A dictionary of Australian politics. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-74237-050-7.
  8. ↑ Mann, Trischa, ed. (2017). Australian law dictionary (Third ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-19-030473-7.
  9. ↑ Stewart, Andrew (2011). "Fair Work Australia: The Commission Reborn?". Journal of Industrial Relations. 53 (5): 563–577. doi:10.1177/0022185611419600. ISSN 0022-1856.