Reluctant Conscripts? Small Business Management Attitudes to Employee Relations in Travel Agencies

The growing importance of the small business sector as a focus for economic policy is not reflected in the degree to which employee relations practices in the area are understood. This is particularly true in Australia. This paper reports the findings of study of the travel agency industry, which has recently become regulated by a federal award. It adds to the limited Australian data on small business attitudes to unions; perception of awards; knowledge of award content and political preferences. The paper concludes that the managers in this survey have broadly similar attitudes to unions and politics to those of their overseas counterparts. Although they voluntarily responded to an award, they did so on terms that were favourable to them and that have not, as yet, brought them into conflict with the union or challenged their conservative value system.