Industrial Relations, perceptions, Trade Unions
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the role of unions in the workplace?
| TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Unsure | |
| Unions provide essential services to their members to ensure they are paid appropriately and have safe working environments | 74% | 11% | 34% | 40% | 8% | 3% | 15% |
| A union gives workers more power with employers through a collective voice | 74% | 12% | 34% | 40% | 9% | 3% | 15% |
| Unions provide advice and services to which members would otherwise not have access | 70% | 13% | 30% | 40% | 10% | 3% | 17% |
| Unions are vital to stop businesses taking advantage of their employees | 67% | 16% | 34% | 33% | 12% | 5% | 16% |
| Unions that insist on minimum qualifications and training create a highly-skilled workforce | 64% | 15% | 27% | 38% | 11% | 4% | 20% |
| Unions are too politically biased | 62% | 19% | 30% | 31% | 12% | 7% | 19% |
| Union protection makes it difficult for employers to discipline, terminate or even promote employees | 58% | 24% | 25% | 33% | 18% | 6% | 18% |
| Unions add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy for businesses | 49% | 33% | 21% | 28% | 22% | 11% | 18% |
| Unions are corrupt | 47% | 30% | 19% | 28% | 18% | 12% | 23% |
| Employment law and regulations mean unions are no longer needed | 41% | 40% | 16% | 26% | 25% | 15% | 19% |
corporations, Cricket, last 12 months, small business, Trade Unions
Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good | Total bad | NET | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | 2018 NET | |||
| The Australian cricket team | 44% | 10% | +34 | 13% | 32% | 26% | 6% | 4% | 12% | +2 | ||
| Large companies and corporations | 41% | 18% | +23 | 10% | 31% | 31% | 13% | 5% | 10% | +9 | ||
| You and your family overall | 41% | 22% | +19 | 9% | 32% | 35% | 15% | 7% | 3% | +28 | ||
| Your workplace | 30% | 16% | +14 | 7% | 23% | 29% | 10% | 6% | 23% | +28 | ||
| Your personal financial situation | 30% | 32% | -2 | 6% | 24% | 35% | 19% | 13% | 3% | – | ||
| The average Australian | 27% | 31% | -4 | 7% | 21% | 37% | 22% | 9% | 4% | -1 | ||
| The Australian Government | 29% | 36% | -7 | 7% | 22% | 31% | 22% | 14% | 5% | -41 | ||
| Trade unions | 19% | 30% | -11 | 5% | 14% | 35% | 21% | 9% | 10% | -2 | ||
| Small business | 24% | 36% | -12 | 4% | 20% | 31% | 27% | 9% | 9% | +6 | ||
| The Australian economy | 25% | 38% | -13 | 5% | 20% | 31% | 26% | 12% | 5% | +6 | ||
| Australian politics in general | 21% | 41% | -20 | 5% | 16% | 32% | 24% | 18% | 4% | -50 | ||
| The planet | 20% | 49% | -29 | 6% | 14% | 27% | 28% | 21% | 4% | -19 |
royal commission, Trade Unions
Q. Dyson Heydon, the head of the Royal Commission into trade unions has ruled that he will continue as the head of the Royal Commission after being accused of bias for agreeing to appear at a Liberal Party fund-raiser. Do you think Dyson Heydon should continue as Royal Commissioner or should he stand down?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Should continue | 32% | 14% | 62% | 17% | 23% | |
| Should stand down | 42% | 64% | 16% | 66% | 50% | |
| Don’t know | 27% | 22% | 22% | 17% | 27% |
The largest proportion of Australian’s believes that Dyson Heydon should stand down (42%), however 32% think he should continue. 27% can give no opinion.
Amongst Liberal/National voters the majority (62%) think he should continue, while amongst Labor (64%), Greens (66%) and Other voters (50%) the majority think he should stand down.
Note: by way of comparison the question below was published in the Essential Report on the 25th August 2015.
Q. Reports that the Trade Union Royal Commissioner, Dyson Heydon, had accepted an invitation to speak at Liberal Party event has led to allegations of conflict of interest. Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| There is a conflict of interest and he should step down as Royal Commissioner | 38% | 56% | 18% | 55% | 45% | |
| There is no conflict of interest and he should continue as Royal Commissioner | 25% | 9% | 50% | 6% | 21% | |
| Don’t know | 37% | 35% | 32% | 39% | 34% |
royal commission, Trade Unions
Q. Do you believe the Royal Commission into Trade Unions is biased against unions and the Labor Party?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Yes – biased against unions | 5% | 6% | 4% | 2% | 7% | |
| Yes – biased against Labor Party | 7% | 9% | 7% | 16% | 6% | |
| Yes – based against both unions and Labor | 24% | 43% | 4% | 43% | 26% | |
| No – not biased at all | 29% | 11% | 60% | 6% | 21% | |
| Don’t know | 35% | 31% | 26% | 33% | 40% |
29% of Australians – the largest proportion who gave an answer – believe that the Royal Commission into Trade Unions is not biased.
However, 35% could not give an opinion.
24% believe the Royal Commission is biased against both unions and the Labor Party, while a further 5% believe it to be biased against just unions and 7% biased just against the Labor party.
royal commission, Trade Unions
Q. Do you think the Royal Commission into Trade Unions is a legitimate investigation into union practices or is it a political attack on unions and the Labor Party?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
||
|
A political attack on Labor and the unions |
27% |
52% |
6% |
42% |
25% |
|
|
A legitimate investigation of union practices |
39% |
17% |
70% |
14% |
41% |
|
|
Don’t know |
34% |
31% |
24% |
44% |
34% |
39% think the that the Trade Union Royal Commission is a legitimate investigation of union practices and 27% think that it is a political attack on Labor and the unions. 34% did not know.
Views were related to voting intention – 70% of Liberal/National voters think it is a legitimate investigation of union practices while 52% of Labor voters think it is a political attack on Labor and the unions.
40% of full-time workers and 35% of part-time workers think it is a legitimate investigation of union practices.
advertising in elections, business groups, Trade Unions
Q. And would you support or oppose a limit on the amount other organisations or individuals (e.g. trade unions, business groups) can spend on advertising in elections?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total support |
78% |
75% |
80% |
87% |
78% |
|
| Total oppose |
11% |
14% |
11% |
8% |
12% |
|
| Strongly support |
48% |
48% |
51% |
48% |
52% |
|
| Support |
30% |
27% |
29% |
39% |
26% |
|
| Oppose |
7% |
10% |
6% |
6% |
8% |
|
| Strongly oppose |
4% |
4% |
5% |
2% |
4% |
|
| Don’t know |
11% |
11% |
8% |
6% |
10% |
Support for a limit on selection advertising spending by other organisations was a little lower than for political parties. 78% support a limit on the amount other organisations can spend on advertising in elections and 11% oppose. Labor voters (75%) were a little less supportive than Liberal/National voters (80%) and Greens voters (87%).
171213, economy, small business, Trade Unions
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2014 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?
|
Total good |
Total bad |
|
Very good |
Good |
Neither good nor bad |
Bad |
Very bad |
Don’t know |
|
| The Australian economy |
27% |
37% |
2% |
25% |
31% |
27% |
10% |
6% |
|
| Australian politics in general |
21% |
45% |
2% |
19% |
29% |
25% |
20% |
6% |
|
| Large companies and corporations |
30% |
30% |
4% |
26% |
32% |
22% |
8% |
8% |
|
| Small business |
17% |
41% |
1% |
16% |
34% |
30% |
11% |
8% |
|
| Trade unions |
11% |
37% |
2% |
9% |
38% |
24% |
13% |
14% |
|
| The average Australian |
23% |
34% |
1% |
22% |
38% |
26% |
8% |
5% |
|
| Your personal financial situation |
31% |
25% |
3% |
28% |
39% |
18% |
7% |
4% |
|
| Your workplace* |
36% |
21% |
4% |
32% |
39% |
16% |
5% |
3% |
|
| You and your family overall |
41% |
16% |
7% |
34% |
38% |
11% |
5% |
5% |
* working people
Respondents are more likely to be positive about 2014 for “you and your family” (41% good/16% bad), “your workplace” (36%/21%) and “your personal financial situation” (31%/25%).
Compared to their opinions of 2013, they expect improvements for “Australian politics in general” (up 11% to 21% good), “large companies and corporations” (up 5% to 30%) and “small business” (up 7% to 17%) – although all of these are off low base figures.
20 May 2013, 200513, importance of unions, Trade Unions, unions
Q. And how important are unions for Australian working people today?
|
19 Mar 2012 |
10 Sept 12 |
Total 20 May 13 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Work full time |
Work part time |
|
| Total important |
56% |
52% |
56% |
80% |
38% |
70% |
54% |
57% |
| Total not Important |
35% |
38% |
36% |
12% |
59% |
23% |
39% |
36% |
| Very important |
19% |
16% |
21% |
35% |
8% |
38% |
18% |
26% |
| Quite important |
37% |
36% |
35% |
45% |
30% |
32% |
36% |
31% |
| Not very important |
27% |
28% |
24% |
11% |
36% |
18% |
25% |
27% |
| Not at all important |
8% |
10% |
12% |
1% |
23% |
5% |
14% |
9% |
| Don’t know |
9% |
10% |
8% |
7% |
3% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
The majority of respondents regarded unions to be important for Australian working people today (56%), whilst 36% believe that they were not important. Belief that they are important increased 4 points from 52% in September 2012 to 56% in this week’s results.
80% of Labor voters and 70% of Greens voters believed that unions were important for Australian working people today, while Coalition voters were the most likely to regard unions as not important (59%).
The majority of full time workers (54%) and part time workers (57%) regarded unions as important for Australian working people today.