A Commissioner may approve an industrial agreement under s.55 of the Industrial Relations Act 1984 which, when registered, has the force of an award and stands in place of an existing award covering the same subject matter. That is, any other award covering the same class of employee or the same type of employment condition has no application.
An industrial agreement can be operative for a term up to but not exceeding three years from the making of the agreement.
Parties to an industrial agreement can be an employee organization (union) and an employer organization or any employer or group of employers.
An industrial agreement on being registered applies to all employees and employers coming within its scope.
An industrial agreement must comply with the public interest tests: this relates to the economic position of an industry or the economy of Tasmania (especially as to employment).
