For more than 100 years both state and federal industrial legislation has made extensive provision concerning the lawfulness or otherwise of industrial action. The various jurisdictions have also adopted legislation which, whilst not strictly ‘industrial’ in character, nevertheless has the potential to give rise to legal liability for those who organise or engage in industrial action in certain circumstances. The most important of these are the boycott provisions now set out in ss 45D–45EB of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), and state and federal ‘essential services’ legislation.

See Statutory liability for industrial action.