Is the Employment Relations Act 2000 a super-statute?

Abstract

A �super-statute� is a hybrid of an entrenched law, and an ordinary statute, which establishes a framework of state policy, and over time �sticks� in the public culture. This paper employs the concept of a super-statute to consider the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA). It is argued that ERA�s potential status as a super-statute is principally dependent upon the plausibility of trade unions and collective action in the contemporary workplace and broader society. The paper concludes that unions� ability to act as agents of change in influencing attitudes toward collective action will greatly determine the longevity of ERA.