The Nature and Consequences of Temporary and Contract Employment in the Australian Black Coal Mining Industry

Since 1997, permanent employment in the coal industry has been significantly undermined by adverse product market conditions and hostile legal and institutional change. These developments have created the climate and the capacity for the rapid expansion of temporary and contract employment. This article provides evidence of this expansion before discussing one union's response to it and the far-reaching implications of these developments for the future of employment relations in the industry.