Industrial Activity

In the ACT it is against the law for someone to discriminate against you because of a characteristic that you have, or that someone thinks you have, in an area of public life such as employment, education, accommodation, provision of goods and services, and clubs.

It is against the law for someone to discriminate against you because of your industrial activity. Industrial activity includes being, or not being, a member of an industrial organisation, such as a trade union. It also includes establishing an industrial organisation, organising or promoting a lawful activity for an industrial organisation, representing or advancing the views of an industrial organisation, and refusing to participate in a lawful activity organised or promoted by an industrial organisation.

Examples of industrial activity discrimination

Michael is the union representative in his workplace and sends notices to staff about union related business. Recently, Michael was formally warned by his employer for using the work email system to distribute union information. Michael’s use of the work email system was in accordance with the organisation’s ‘reasonable use’ policy for email communications.

Alice is having workplace issues with her supervisor and advises the employer she has arranged for a union representative to come with her to a meeting about those issues. Alice is advised she can bring a support person but not a representative from the union to the meeting.