Enterprise Bargaining in the New Era (Online) Oct 2026

Ticket sales close Wednesday, 7 October 2026 to allow time to mail training booklets.

Duration/time: TWO HALF-DAYS: Tuesday, 20 and Thursday, 22 October, 9:30am - 1:30pm AEDT

Please note: This online training will NOT be recorded.

Why attend?

Enterprise bargaining has changed significantly. The Closing Loopholes reforms have reshaped the bargaining landscape, expanded multi-employer bargaining pathways, increased Fair Work Commission intervention powers and created new strategic risks for employers.

This practical program will help you understand where your business sits in the new bargaining environment and how to approach negotiations with confidence, clarity and a long-term strategy.

You'll learn how to:

• Navigate the post-Closing Loopholes bargaining framework

• Understand the growing role of multi-employer bargaining and what it means for your business

• Anticipate and manage union, employee and stakeholder dynamics

• Develop an effective bargaining strategy aligned to your broader employee relations objectives

• Prepare for negotiations, communications, voting processes and bargaining at the table

• Avoid common risks, traps and costly mistakes.

Who should attend:

This program is ideal for:

• Employers preparing for an upcoming bargaining round

• HR, ER and business leaders seeking to strengthen their bargaining capability

• Organisations bargaining for the first time

• Experienced practitioners looking to challenge their assumptions and refine their strategy

• Unionised and non-unionised workplaces.

What you'll gain:

By the end of the program you will be able to:

• Understand the latest legislative, regulatory and bargaining developments

• Assess your organisation's exposure to single-enterprise and multi-employer bargaining pathways

• Better manage workplace culture, employee expectations and union influence

• Build a practical bargaining plan that supports long-term organisational objectives

• Apply proven negotiation, communication and voting strategies

• Approach bargaining with greater confidence, preparation and control

Course Overview

Delivered by ABLA CEO Nigel Ward, this interactive program draws on more than 35 years of enterprise bargaining experience.

Nigel is regularly involved in major bargaining matters and brings practical insights, real-world examples and lessons learned from some of Australia's most complex bargaining projects.

The program is highly interactive, providing opportunities to discuss your own challenges, ask questions and explore practical solutions. Participants will also receive access to a private post-course consultation with Nigel to discuss their bargaining strategy and specific workplace issues.

Key topics include:

• The current bargaining framework and the impact of legislative reform

• Single-enterprise, single-interest and multi-employer bargaining

• Intractable bargaining, Fair Work Commission intervention and emerging trends

• Building a bargaining strategy that aligns with business objectives

• Understanding workplace culture, employee influence and union dynamics

• Effective negotiation, communication and engagement techniques

• Voting strategies, risk management and avoiding common bargaining pitfalls

• Planning for successful bargaining outcomes before negotiations begin

"It's been close to impossible to find training/materials on EBAs, let alone any resources that were as detailed as your presentation.

Thank you for sharing your expertise." – Enterprise Bargaining attendee, 2024.

Register today and get prepared for your next bargaining negotiation. 

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Schedule each day

9:15 am - Registration opens
9:30 am - Training commences
1:30 pm - Training concludes
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This course is open to all organisations excluding legal service providers, consultants or unions specialising in enterprise bargaining deemed as competitors.

Meet your trainer

Nigel Ward

CEO and Director

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors (ABLA)

Nigel Ward is one of Australia’s leading advocates and practitioners in employee and industrial relations with more than 35 years of strategic business planning experience.

As CEO of ABLA, Nigel has spearheaded the organisation’s award-winning company culture. He sets the tone in the office with an open management style and sincere approach to looking after each and every client. Nigel approaches all legal issues from a ‘what’s best for your business’ perspective.

As one of Australia’s leading enterprise bargaining advocates and practitioners, Nigel has been at the forefront of modern negotiations since the late 1980s. This in-depth experience has given him a holistic understanding of workplace strategy, bargaining tactics and law.

Appointed as a bargaining representative for over 30 companies in the first ever multi-bargaining application under the Federal Government's new IR Reforms (in the child care sector), Nigel was the pioneer for how multi-bargaining laws are used under the new provisions of the Fair Work Act.

In his capacity as the leading employer industrial advocate, Nigel appears regularly before the Fair Work Commission in major industry cases for the peak employer association, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other major employer organisations.

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FAQs

Who is this course suited for?

General Managers or Managing Directors responsible for commercial operations, Senior Operational Managers, HR  Director or Managers, Industrial Relations or Employment Relations Managers, those who have never bargained before but now have to, as well as those who may now be exposed to multi-employer bargaining. Anyone that needs a refresher on the enterprise bargaining process would also benefit.

What's included in the price?

All training course material will be posted to attendees prior to the course start date. No soft copies are available.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Contact Dominique Cho on 0482 162 218  or dominique.cho@ablawyers.com.au.

What's the refund policy?

Participants will receive a full refund if they cancel at least seven (7) business days prior to the scheduled event. However, if participants cancel less than seven (7) business days before the event, no refund will be made. The place can be transferred to another member of the paid organisation. No-shows or cancellations after 7 days will receive the course training material and supporting documents. If there are insufficient participants, we reserve the right to cancel the event and participants will be transferred to another module of equal value or receive a full refund at their election. We will give three business days’ notice of any such cancellation.

Privacy policy

To understand how we protect your privacy, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

This session is conducted subject to everyone agreeing to the Chatham House Rules which means that participants can use the information in practice in their business but should not identify any organisation, individual or information that can be used to identify them.