Employment relations in the Australian fastfood industry

Researchers are increasingly focusing attention on the role of multinational enterprises (MNCs) in transmitting particular employment relations practices across national borders (Sparrow et al. 1994). One of the issues of concern is the extent to which national industrial relations systems impact on the diffusion of transnational employment practices and how effective national labour regulatory regimes are in moderating MNC business and employment practices (Lane, 1991) and protecting the employment conditions and rights of workers employed by MNCs (Ramsay, 1997). Fast-food MNCs are significant employers of labour around the world but until recently their working practices have had little attention from researchers.