Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
• the impact of the current trajectories regarding globalisation and
technology on the sustainability of work.
This chapter discusses factors related to the future of work in Australia. It
outlines what has happened to work in Australia over the past 25 years and
reviews recent developments concerning the workforce and the changing
conditions and rewards from work, before considering the implications of
these developments and the future of sustainable employment.
First, it is worthwhile defining what is meant by sustainable development
in the context of employment, as so many different definitions exist. A
widely used international definition is 'development which meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs' (SWRA 2003). Some choose to describe these princi-
ples as 'people, pounds and planet', reflecting that sustainable development
is all about achieving a balance between social, economic and environmental
considerations in any decision.
Australia and the world of work - what has happened over the past 25
years?
Australia has experienced some 20 years of dynamic economic reform that
has included deregulation, privatisation, labour market and tax reforms.
Many economic reforms have been focused on increasing shareholder value.
As such, these strategies have been translated into actions in the workplace
such as downsizing, increased work intensity and unpaid overtime. The aim
of creating an internationally competitive economy has worked well for
business in terms of opening up markets, increasing productivity and the
creation of a more 'flexible' workforce. For workers, however, there is evi-
dence that such policies have resulted in greater societal inequalities, as
almost half of the workforce is now employed in jobs that are casual, part-
time and/or on fixed contracts. Statistics also indicate that over one million
people are unemployed, underemployed or in 'hidden' unemployment,
while others find that work itself has intensified in relation to working hours
and unpaid overtime (Watson
et al.
2003). So, this raises the question: is the
possibility of economic progress and sustainable work a contradictory goal?
What we have seen is that growing richer, especially in an information
era, is possible for companies without growing bigger. This means that
increased national wealth does not guarantee more jobs. In fact, it can mean
that a nation's corporations could grow smaller in combination with strate-
gies such as downsizing and the drive for efficiency.
