The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a final decision authorising* several Australian Hotel Association divisions and their members to engage in collective negotiations with service providers of wagering and broadcasting services**, ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, announced today.
The authorisation will enable the Australian Hotel Association divisions in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to collectively negotiate terms and conditions of broadcasting and wagering services with relevant service providers.
"The ACCC is satisfied that the proposed arrangements are likely to result in a benefit to the public", Mr Samuel said. "In particular, the ACCC considers that the proposed collective bargaining arrangements will provide a greater opportunity for hotels to have greater input into their contracts and to achieve more efficient commercial outcomes.
"The ACCC also considers that hotels are likely to pass on to consumers at least some benefits of more efficient contracts negotiated with service providers as a result of bargaining collectively, in the form of improvements in the level of services provided by hotels to consumers.
"The ACCC is satisfied that, subject to conditions, the proposed collective bargaining arrangements are likely to result in limited anti-competitive detriment.
"The ACCC has imposed conditions which require AHA members to form bargaining groups no larger than State level and which restrict information sharing between bargaining groups formed.
"The ACCC notes that the authorisation will in no way compel AHA members or the service providers to participate in the collective bargaining process proposed by the AHA Divisions – it is completely voluntary".
A copy of the final determination is available by following the Public registers link on the ACCC website, and accessing the authorisation public register.