A comparison of wage determination in New South Wales and Queensland clubs

Australia's industrial relations framework has undergone substantial change since the 1990s. This has involved federal and state governments attempting to replace the centralised system, based on awards, to a decentralised system based on formalised enterprise and individual bargaining. The move to a decentralised system will supposedly, according to critics of the centralised system, provide significant improvements in flexibility, especially for the hospitality industry. This article examines the results from two studies of registered clubs, one undertaken in New South Wales (NSW) in 1996 and the other in Queensland in 2003, to examine the impact of regulatory changes on wage determination and associated variables in the sector. The findings indicate that despite the rhetoric of proponents of decentralisation, very few clubs have moved from the centralised system to the decentralised one. However, within the centralised system, clubs have undertaken a high level of informal bargaining, both in 1996 and 2003. Despite the level of informal bargaining club managers felt relatively restricted by awards and trade unions.