Background
Dollar Sweets was a confectionery company in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern employing 27 people on a 38 hour week basis. The award for the industry specified a 40 hour week. The Hawke Government and the ACTU had entered into a Wages accord which provided employer superannuation, reduced taxation and other social gains in return for unions agreeing to not pursue excessive wage claims. At the same time centralised wage fixing was introduced in September 1983 where indexed wage rises were automatically granted to those workers whose unions undertook to abide by the Arbitration Commission's principles.
Several small unions, including the Federated Confectioners Association of Australia, refused to join the accord.
The company owner, Fred Stauder, proposed an agreement with his employees in November 1983, that if they agreed to abide by the principles of the Arbitration Commission, the company would pay them the prescribed increases. All 27 employees agreed to the proposal.
Read more about this topic: Dollar Sweets Dispute
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