1. Must be 'industrial action.'a. Defined in section 420.
b. Loosely defined as 'a failure of refusal to work or to attend for work, or performing work in a manner different from that in which it is customarily performed.'
c. Does not include action over an imminent serious safety or health threat.
2. Process for taking 'protected industrial action':a. Must be after
nominal expiry date.
b. The bargaining period must be initiated: s423.
c. Apply for a secret ballot to decide what action should be taken (strike action for example): s451.
d. If such a ballot is passed, must give minimum three days written notice (or longer is specified on ballot): s441.
e. Then can take 'protected industrial action.'
3. What can make industrial action 'unprotected?'a. Not complying with any of the above.
b. Taking action along side people who are not protected: s438.
c. Taking action in support of
pattern bargaining
d. Taking action in support of 'prohibited content': s436.
e. Requirement that employer genuinely try and reach agreement: s444.
4. What is prohibited content?
a. Described in s8.5
here.
b. Includes things like, deductions from pay to trade unions, paid trade union training, renegotiation of workplace agreement, terms that disencourage or encourage trade union membership, paid strike wages.
c. Basically, anything that is not related to the employment relationship. For example, if a union wanted donations to a trade school by an employer, that would be prohibited.
Well, that was as brief as I could make it, and it misses out a few points too.