Will 2012 see an improvement in the quality of public debate? Don’t count on it.
Industrial relations
Retail and building data stick to the two-speed trend
A slew of economic data confirms existing trends in the economy — and it’s not all bad outside the mining sector.
The long tradition of union ‘interference’
Advocates of IR reform claim unions traditionally haven’t been allowed to “interfere” in issues such as contracting out. Wrong.
The remorseless logic and profound disdain of Alan Joyce
Qantas is prepared to threaten the Australian economy and thus has the government over a barrel. But it’s confirming Australians’ growing resentment of corporations.
Is the jobs forum a summit in search of a problem?
Employers and unions are unlikely to have much of a dialogue at the jobs forum in a few weeks.
Searching for truth on productivity
For journalists willing to do some work, it’s easy to check whether the link being made between IR deregulation and labour productivity stands up.
The return of protectionism: the gang’s all here
Protectionism is alive and well and has strong allies in the public policy arena.
Crikey Says: Demise of a once loved brand
Qantas was, once, more than just an airline to most Australians — it was part of the national character.
Crikey Clarifier: How does the current docks dispute compare to ’98?
How does the current docks dispute stack up with the savage industrial war of 1998? To get a handle on all things waterfront, Crikey spoke with workplace relations expert Professor Andrew Stewart from the University of Adelaide.
Another bad week for the IR reform crowd
Wages data keeps stubbornly refusing to reveal the wages blowout we’ve been warned about for months.
The Facebook bullies of NSW Corrections — one victim’s story
The prison officers who have been elevated to martyr status with their heroic group nickname The Facebook 6 used the site to bully staff. I should know – I am one of their victims, writes Candace Sutton, former Labor advisor and freelance journalist.
So… just why do we need IR reform again?
We’re told time and again that we need more IR reform. But no one ever says why.
Working on Abbott’s IR laws
How Tony Abbott deals with industrial relations could decide his political future, declares Peter van Onselen. Will Abbott ignore one of the foundations of the Liberal Party?
It’s amateur hour at Tony’s house
Four days into the federal election campaign and IR is the topic of the day. But it seems that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and his party have been caught on the hop, appearing like amateurs and willing to give up a generational-long commitment by the Liberal Party to labour market reform, writes Paul Kelly.
American Apparel: now even sleazier
American Apparel has got in trouble before for firing unattractive staff. Now they’ve gone one further, with staff hiring now reliant on providing head-to-toe photos of potential employees.
New York to become pro-nanny state
Nannies and other domestic workers in New York look set to receive a fairer shake of the sauce bottle, with new legislation designed to improve employment conditions. Is this the end of The Nanny Diaries style exposés?
Foil insulation: a lot less scandalous than you may have heard
The media narrative that the Government’s foil insulation scheme was a total disaster is a massive oversimplification — one which ignores history and mathematics, says Rodney Tiffen.
Why coffee in the office is more important than you might think
The choice and quality of coffee available in a workplace can have a big impact on employee morale and productivity — not to mention milk variety, sweeteners, clean cups…
Abbott’s new nanny state
Tony Abbott has pitched the idea of six months’ paid parental leave. Business, unions and even his own colleagues have slammed (and mocked) the plan. But will it be a winner with Rudd’s “working families”?
Colless: Tony, don’t be afraid of the big bad union
A new media campaign by ACTU called “Don’t Go Back To WorkChoices” is an unfair and untruthful attack on Tony Abbott. The Libsneed to offer a suitable IR alternative since Rudd’s policies are collapsing, writes Malcolm Colless.
Grattan: Can Abbott tame the WorkChoices beast?
Other disposed Lib leaders wouldn’t touch industrial relations with a ten foot pole, but Tony Abbott says “WorkChoices wasn’t all bad” and is pushing his own, more tightly reigned in version. Will it work for Abbott? asks Michelle Grattan.
Why business won’t be lining up to support Abbott’s IR plans
While employers may quietly support Tony Abbott’s plan to scrap weekend penalty rates and unfair dismissal laws, they’re not about to form a Coalition cheer squad, says Nicholas Way: they know Gillard will still be holding the reigns of power after the election.
WorkChoices II: the Coalition strikes back
Tony Abbott has been steering the political narrative into some treacherous waters this week: industrial relations. As the sharks start circling, will the Coalition sink or swim in the spectre of WorkChoices?
Grattan: WorkChoices back from the dead
Let the scaremongering begin. Tony Abbott’s new workplace relations reforms aren’t dissimilar to the much hated WorkChoices. It’s a risky move by Abbott to bring IR laws back into the spotlight, writes Michelle Grattan.
The fairly quiet Fair Work Week
A whole new set of federal laws about industrial relations has slid into being this week with very little fanfare. Anne Junor explains exactly what the changes entail for employees and employers.
