History shows that there has been a power struggle within the workforce between the union and management. This essay will examine whether management should have the right to determine whether a union should operate in their workplace. It is necessary to first discuss the role of unions and management in the workplace and discuss the two views on the distribution of power between unions and management in the workplace. The rise of the industrial age led to the rise of industrial factory systems. As industries grew along with the workplace, more employees were needed. As employees grew older in the workplace, their relationship with the employer became less personal, resulting in a loss of power. (History of Labor Unions Summary & Analysis, 2014) points out that there was little, if anything, that an individual could do to pressure a large industrial company to raise wages, reduce their working hours or provide a better working environment. The increase in migrants to Australia during the 1960s continually replenished the supply of unskilled workers, making it difficult for any employee to exert influence in negotiations with their employer. This led to employees adopting collective action, which then led to the rise of unions. According to (Burchielli, R 2006) Unions are seen as the driving force of employees in the workplace, their role was to enable employees to bargain collectively with their employers for a better working environment, better wages and benefits such as paid leave. However, union density has declined over the past two decades, according to (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2013): in 1986, 46% of employees were members of a union. In 2007, these figures fell to just 19%. There...... middle of paper ......this: Balancing efficiency, equity, and voice. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Blair, Margaret M. (1995) Ownership and Control: Rethinking Corporate Governance for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: Brookings. Jacoby, Sanford M. (2001) “Employee Representation and Corporate Governance: A Missing Link”, University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment Law, 3(3): 449-89. Purcell, J. ( 1987), MAPPING MANAGEMENT STYLES IN EMPLOYEE RELATIONS. Journal of Management Studies, 24: 533-548. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.1987.tb00462.xSutcliffe and Callus (1994) Glossary of Australian Industrial Relations Terms, ACIRRT, Sydney. Marshall, Shelley, 2004. Corporate bargaining, managerial prerogative and the protection of workers' rights . An argument on the role of law and regulatory strategy in Australia under the Workplace Relations Act 199, Vol.22(3), , p.299.