Why is it so hard to take lawful strike action in Australia?

Abstract

This current controversy analyses the legal impediments to taking lawful strike action for workers in Australia, reviewing the components of the regulatory system that combine to restrict access to strike action for Australian workers. The discussion explores the flaws underlying the enactment of the right to strike, the limitations surrounding the definition of industrial action, the prerequisites to lawful strike action including the problems that arise from the pre-strike ballots regime, the grounds on which lawful strike action can be stopped, and the consequences of getting it wrong. The picture presented by the legal regime for strike action is that the impact of the regime is greater than the sum of its parts – making it very difficult to strike even for the most seasoned industrial players. It is possible that strike regulation in Australia has reached a tipping point whereby the costs associated with getting it right may now be so high that simply abandoning the lawful path and engaging in unlawful strike action may be more appealing than complying with the law.