Power and employment relationship in victorian local government: responses from Gippsland senior officers

This paper considers the notion of the employment relationship (ER) and adopts the perspective that it is essentially a power relationship. It takes the view that identifying where the locus of power is situated in an ER is central to developing an understanding of its nature. Focussing on power in the relationship, it identifies two 'ideal types' of ER. Victorian local government employment statutes and responses from local government senior officers in Gippsland are then examined, explored and analysed in the context of these 'ideal types'. Concluding remarks consider the utility and contribution of this approach.