Fair Work Commission and Australia Economy - Assignment Example

Australian economy Name Institution Qn. 2. Fair work commission In every country and industrial setup, there are organizations that have been set up and that have been designed to ensure that they look into matters pertaining how various organizations situated in a certain geographical region treat their workers. Most times, these organizations operate as NGOs. They get their mandate, their role and their supremacy either from the government or through special tribunal formations. A good example of such a commission in Australia is the Fair work commission (FWC). This paper show the role of the FWC plays in ensuring that the labour market in Australia is regulated. Fair work commission Fair work commission (FWC) is a labour regulatory body in Australia (Australia government website, 2013). This body is charged with the capacity of ensuring that workers in the Australian market are treated fairly and given the necessary attention and remuneration they deserve from the organizations that employ them. There are a number of roles that fall under the jurisdiction of this commission. Some of these roles have been discussed in the following paragraphs. Minimum wages and conditions of employment Without the setting up of policies and guidelines that will allow various organizations across the globe set up minimum wages, most of these organizations will be inclined to exploit the workers. There are numerous ways through which exploitation occurs in these organizations. Mitchell et al (2010) states that many organizations find it easier to operate with a sole purpose of profit maximization. The concept of taking care of the employees through giving them good working conditions and facilities is not given much emphasis any more. However, the introduction of commissions and unions in this industry led to a revolution of these conditions. In Australia, the FWC has played a very critical role in the establishment, determination and control of the minimum wage in the Australian market. The FWC also advocates for the establishment of favorable working conditions of the workers in the country. Enterprise bargaining The FWC engages itself in a collective bargaining. This is conducted to ensure that both parties that involved in this industry have received their share cut of the deal. In other words, it tries to ensure that the parties involved have engaged themselves in a win-win situation. This win-win situation ensures that the workers in this case are accorded the best terms and conditions of work that their organizations can. At the same time, they try to ensure that the various organizations that employ these workers are receiving the best they can from these workers. The implication in this case is that the organizations are able to achieve their profit maximization goal while at the same time preserving the conditions of the workers. In the process of collective bargaining, FWC in Australia tends to analyze the situation from all perspectives. Role in resolution of disputes In the workplace, there are various conflicts that may arise. These conflicts come in different levels. One of the levels of conflict is conflict between workers and the organization and conflict between workers and workers. In most cases, the conflict between workers in an organization is solved within the organization setup itself. Most organizations have the power and the capacity to institute measures to ensure that the conflicts that occur among their employees are resolved quickly and amiably. The major and most common kind of conflict that occurs within organizations is the conflict between the workers and the organization. These conflicts are very diversified and in most cases, they lead to disconcertment between the workers. The workers of the organization are the people who suffer the blunt of these conflicts. In Australia, the FWC acts as a special commission that regulates and resolves various conflicts that are associated with these workers and the organization they work in. The workers are mainly concerned with good working conditions and good remuneration. The organizations are mainly concerned with profit maximization. The organizations will try to minimize their costs in such a way that they attain their goals. Sometimes, the minimization of the cost occurs at the expense of the workers in the company (Cameron, 2012). This will bring the organization and the workers into a conflict. In Australia, the FWC stands to ensure that this does not happen. They advocate that as much as the organizations strive to fulfill their goal maximization objective, they should also ensure that they have taken good care of their workers through provision of good working environments and better pay. Industrial action A part of conflict resolution that FWC engages in Australia is the industrial action. The commission takes measures to ensure that any organization which flouts the rules and the regulations that they have set forth pertaining treatment of workers are prosecuted. The commission takes it upon its mandate to prosecute the companies which do not adhere to the rules and the regulations they have for them. Industrial action however, only results when all the other actions including negotiation has failed to work in a certain organization. Summary The above discussion has shown how influential the FWC commission is in Australia. The paper has portrayed the FWC as the last level of defense for workers and sometimes organizations which need justice carried out. Various roles have been discussed in this paper which includes industrial action, enterprise bargaining and Minimum wages and conditions of employment. The importance of the commission has been highlighted and re-emphasized in this paper. Qn. 9 How information revolution circumvent domestic media regulation in Australia The media is a very powerful and potent tool to use in the twenty first century (Gentil & Sesma, 2002). The application of media runs across very many platforms in the society. Media has led to a revolution into how many things are run. This paper investigates how information revolution has circumvented domestic media regulation in Australia. The major proponents that will form the backbone of discussion in this paper are the usage of digital forms of information technology such as the internet and other latest forms. The role of the Australian Commission and Media Authority and its effectiveness in the Australian country will also be evaluated in this paper. Forms of information revolution There are a number of gadgets today that have fully turned around how information is delivered and revolutionalized digital content. It has become increasingly hard to monitor how information travels from one point to the other because of the availability of countless medium through which information can be passed through. The internet is the major source of information that has been widely utilized by many people across the world in varying degrees (Guo & Wu, 2009). The social media, which largely uses the internet platform has succeeded in gaining an overwhelming following across the world. The number of people who use the social media as a platform for exchange of information has risen to billions in the year 2013. Accessing internet has been made easy through the use of mobile phones and smartphones which are in wide circulation across the globe. Role of Australian Commission and Media Authority Australian Commission and Media Authority (ACMA) in Australia is tasked with the role of regulating how information flows in the country (Acma website 2013). It takes care of how various instruments of media are used by various people to relay information. The ACMA ensures that each person in the country has access to communication and media coverage. There are several roles that are associated with ACMA as the following paragraphs detail. These roles have been postulated from the four cornerstones of the ACMA as an authority in itself. Agency transformation Through this node of the cornerstone that this agency finds it power from, the ACMA seeks to adapt the organization to the dynamism of the convergence through maintaining a structural innovation. Under this, there are several issues that avail themselves. One of them is the capacity enhancement so that they can be able to create resilience. When this happens, it becomes possible for various people to be able to attain a heightened level of resilience. The agency is also entrusted with the development of spam intelligence databases. Apart from development, they also ensure that they are available for the administration of the same. The implication in this case is that the agency facilitates the safety of information users in the Australia nation through ensuring that unwanted message do not find their way to recipients in the country (Unicef report 2004). Spam messages forms potential avenues for viruses and other form of harm that could in one way or the other lead to breakdown of information flow from one point to the other. Regulating information flow and capacity This role could be among the most important and most effective roles that ACMA has engaged itself in. under this segment, the agency has a number of roles as the following sentences highlight. One of the roles , or mandate rather, of ACMA in Australia is the regulation of the use of the telecommunication devices, services such as internet and cable. The content of information flowing through these devices is sometimes inclined to have factors and messages that the society considers immoral in nature. To prevent such messages reaching an audience that is considered young and pure, it is the role of the ACMA to filter this information in such a manner that only the intended message reaches the intended recipient. Another role of ACMA is ensuring that the information providers such as media houses have gone through proper betting before they can be issued with operating licenses. They check to ensure that these houses have met the standards of work, the codes of service have been put into place and have put into place other service guards that enable them to offer varied information services to the people. Research and design In Australia, ACMA is also tasked with the role of research and design to ensure that the various information outlets in the country are abreast with the current trends in the information and broadcasting world. There has been much research conducted on the future of information relay and the agency has been on the forefront to try and identify what kind of devices and channels that they should use to conduct their information dissemination in the future. Technically, the research in this system never ends. There are numerous forms of information dissemination platforms that are in existence in the world today (Swenson, 2011). This follows the fact that information revolution occurs very rapidly and in great magnitudes in the current world. The agency places itself in the position that will ensure that it does not become redundant and that it becomes a pioneer in the information and technology segment in Australia. Summary ACMA has been observed as being in the capacity and position to be able to offer various forms of services to the information and media industry in the Australian country. There are several recognized roles of ACMA in this paper namely research and design, Regulating information flow and capacity and Agency transformation. Qn. 10. WTO and the bilateral trade proliferation World trade organization advocates, within its dockets, the promotion and commitment towards a principle of non-discrimination among its various member countries who do business together (Groot et al n.d). This clause was introduced in the statutes of WTO after it was noticed that there was widespread interrelationship and interchanging as well as trade between two nations. This is commonly referred to as bilateral trade. However, even with this statute in place, it has become a challenge for the WTO to bring the bilateral trade to an end in favor of international trade. in some cases, this trade has even gone forth to become a favorite among two neighboring nations. This portion examines why this international trade has continued to prosper despite these measures set in place to favor international trade at the expense of bilateral trade. Why bilateral trade flourishes The trade between two nations keeps on flourishing mainly because of a number of factors as the following paragraphs highlight. One of the reasons that lead to this flourishment is the fact that most neighboring nations have a long history of working together (Deardorff, 1998). This means that they trust each other more than they trust other nations in far off areas. Some nations used to have trade in form of barter trade for a long period of time. This mutual trust that has been developed over long periods of time has led to the growth and even more commitment to the bilateral trade. Many economists have argued that the existence of bilateral trade undermines the international trade. Others have advocated for existence of bilateral trade as a platform for the growth and development of international trade. This paper examines how the bilateral trade influences the international trade. The portion examines the weaknesses that are associated with the bilateral trade in application to the international trade as well as the advantages associated with the same. How bilateral trade strengthens international trade There are several ways through which the bilateral trade can be said to strengthen the international trade. These ways have been formulated in the following sentences. One of the ways is through the continued existence of bilateral trade, the nations involved in this trade can be able to understand their limits in terms of what they can get from each other and what they can provide from each other (Fieler, 2011). For instance, if Australia was involved in bilateral trade with a nation like USA, Australia could be a strategic supplier of agricultural produce to this country. USA on the other hand could supply Australia with motor vehicles. In this case, each nation supplies the products of which it has in abundance. From this arrangement, Australia may realize that if it need other products or services, it has to diversify its scope of trade and get into international trade. USA does the same thing too. This exposes the countries to international trade after they have successfully exhausted the products and services that they can get through a bilateral arrangement. On another scale, these two countries may realize that they need a product that neither of them produces. They may decide to join forces and order jointly from the international community. This will save them money and at the same time increase their international exposure. The end result will be the increment of the international trade. How bilateral trade weakens international trade On the other hand, bilateral trade has been accused of weakening international trade. This could be identified through a number of ideas as the following portions highlight. When two nations engage themselves in an exclusive trade format as the bilateral trade highlights, it becomes almost impossible for other countries to join into such a system (Wilhite, 2001). The implication is that the benefit derived from the trade does not spill onto other nations. In this case, there are only two beneficiaries; those nations that are involved in the trade. Other foreign nations do not get the chance to access the products from either or the nations. Sometimes, when nations involve themselves in a bilateral trade agreement, it becomes extremely difficult for standardization of the value of the currency in these countries comparative to the foreign exchange and money value that other nations in the world use (Lai & Zhu, 2004). For instance, if Australia was locked into a bilateral agreement with USA, there is a high probability that the nation will conduct operations with USA alone. The value of the USA dollar may be high in other nations because of scarcity since foreign exchange is the one instrumental in provision of foreign currency in various nations. In Australia, it will be found that the country enjoys a relatively higher economic value on the USA dollar it has as compared to other nations which are not involved in the bilateral trade. A bilateral trade locks important products from nations that could really be in the need for them . For example, assume that Australia is in a bilateral agreement with an oil producing nation. This nation will supply all its oil to Australia. This largely affects the prices of oil in other nations as they will be faced with scarcity. In Australia however, the oil price will remain constant and unchanged. This leads to a huge imbalance between prices of products from one nation and the other. Summary Bilateral trade agreement have been shown to be quickly edging out of fashion and their niche getting rapidly replaced by international trade. however, for nations which still experience and involve themselves in this trade, the strengths as well as weaknesses that bilateral trade has on international trade have been identified. References Acma website (2013). “Spam: the ACMA’s role”. Retrieved from http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Anti-Spam/Ensuring-you-dont-spam/understanding-spam-ensuring-you-dont-spam-i-acma Australia government website. (2013). “ Employment and workplace”. Retrieved from http://australia.gov.au/topics/employment-and-workplace Cameron, C. (2012). “The vulnerable worker? A labor law challenge for WIL and work experience”. Paper from the Australian Collaborative Education Network Annual Conference 2012. Retrieved from http://www.apjce.org/files/APJCE_14_3_135_146.pdf Deardorff, A. (1998). “The Regionalization of the World Economy”. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/chapters/c7818.pdf Fieler, AC. (2011). “Non-homotheticity and bilateral trade: evidence and a quantitative explanation”. Econometrica, 79(4): pp. 1069–1101. Gentil, D & Sesma, A. (2002). “Developmental Approaches to Understanding Media Effects on Individuals”. Pp. 19-37 retrieved from http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/dgentile/106027_02.pdf Groot et al (n.d). “The Institutional Determinants of Bilateral Trade Patterns”. Retrieved from http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/9561/03044.pdf?sequence=1 Guo, Ke & Wu, Y. (2009). “Media Consumption and Global Visions among Urban Chinese Youth”. China Media Research. 5(4): pp 80-95. Howe, J & Landau, I. (2007). ‘Light touch’ labour regulation by state governments in Australia”. Melbourne University Law Review. Pp. 368-339. Lai,H & Zhu, SC. (2004). “The determinants of bilateral trade”. Canadian Journal of Economics, 37(2): pp.459-482 Mitchel et al (2012). “ The Evolution of Labour Law in Australia: Measuring the Change”, Retrieved from http://www.jil.go.jp/english/reports/documents/jilpt-reports/no.9_australia.pdf Swenson, B. (2011). “The human network: social media and the limit of politics”. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics. 4(2): pp. 102-124. DOI: 10.2478/v10076-011-0014-3 0014-3. Webb, S & Webb, S (2011). “A History of Trade Unionism (1898)”. Cited in Alan,B & Tonia, N.(2012) “‘Investigating “Voice” at Work’”, Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal, pp. 323, 327. Wilhite, A.(2001). “Bilateral Trade and ‘Small-World’ Networks”. Computational Economics. 18: pp.49-64 Unicef report 2004. “Children, Youth and Media Around the World: An Overview of Trends & Issues”. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/intermedia_revised.pdf Read More