Employment Contracting Under the ECA: Preliminary Survey Results

Abstract

In order to make an initial assessment of the extent of labour market adjustment under the Employment Contracts Act 1991, the Department of Labour commissioned surveys of adjustment under the Act in 1992 and 1993. These surveys showed the spread of enterprise bargaining and individual employment contracts, the nature of industrial relations changes made in different types of enterprises, and the concentration of changes amongst larger enterprises. The surveys also demonstrated that many of the changes made under the Act occurred in its initial years. The Department has commissioned a similar survey again this year, the final results of which are due early next year. This paper explains the objectives of this year's survey, how it differs from the previous surveys, and presents some preliminary results.