Industrial Relations and the Law: A Case Study of Robe River

The Robe River dispute in the Pilbara iron ore industry is outlined. The Peko-Wallsend served a Supreme Court writ against unions involved in the dispute and threatened action under Section 45D of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (CTH). After several meetings with union officials and company executives, an agreement was finally concluded after 40 days of striking. The threat of legal action by the company forced the unions to back down, and court intervention was not necessary. The authors conclude that this dispute is illustrative of a new era of litigation and legal complexity in Australian industrial relations.