Fair Work Commission

Overview

Fair Work Commission staff within the RSRT & Minimum Wages Research team of the Tribunal Services Branch may conduct research as part of the annual wage review. The research program for the Annual Wage Review 2012-13 was finalised in a statement on 25 October 2012 following a process where interested parties were invited to submit proposals and participate in consultations.

In undertaking the research program, the RSRT & Minimum Wages Research team consults a Minimum Wage Research Group comprising a chair from the team and representatives nominated by:

• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
• Australian Industry Group (Ai Group)
• Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
• Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
• Australian Government
• State and Territory Governments.

In addition to research projects, statistical reporting is also undertaken on a range of data relevant to annual wage reviews. This work will be published separately to the research reports.

Research reports published for the 2012-13 review

• 1/2013 – Higher classification/professional employee award reliance qualitative research: Consolidated report (PDF)
• 2/2013 – Labour supply responses to an increase in minimum wages: An overview of the literature (PDF)
• 3/2013 – Manufacturing industry profile (PDF)
• 4/2013 – Retail trade industry profile (PDF)
• 5/2013 – Accommodation and food services industry profile (PDF)

In addition to the reports above, in August 2012, staff of the RSRT & Minimum Wages Research Team, Tribunal Services Branch, Fair Work Commission prepared and published mapping documents using the methodology described in Fair Work Australia Research Report 2/2012 – Analysing modern award coverage using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006: Phase 1 report (PDF).

The documents are available on these pages:

• Mapping documents listed by ANZSIC division page
• Mapping documents listed by modern award

Research to be finalised after the 2012-13 review

Award-reliance

Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney in collaboration with ORC International

This project will primarily examine national system organisations in which at least one employee has their pay set at the specified award rate. The key objective of the study is to understand the mix or ‘categories’ of such employees and, where possible, their location on award classification scales. A particular focus of the research will be to identify professionals and other employees on higher award classifications whose pay is set at the specified award rate. The study will consist of a quantitative survey of such organisations. Data will be gathered on the size and structure of these organisations, the nature of employment arrangements within these organisations as well as information on bargaining activity within them.

Minimum wages and their role in the process and incentive to bargain

Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney

This project will examine how minimum wage increases impact on over award wages and the incentive to bargain. The study will include enterprise case studies, the content analysis of enterprise agreements, and the generation and statistical analysis of workplace survey data. This multi-method approach will be used to investigate the motivations, processes and outcomes of wage setting at the workplace level, and examine the role that the minimum wages increases play in shaping agreement-making and over award wage determination.