Industrial relations
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Why I support state intervention in the CFMEU
The Haydon Royal Commission in 2014 revealed evidence that corrupt elements were infiltrating the CFMEU, NSW Branch. This grew steadily in the 10 years since and the branch is now rotten. In Victoria, the “strongman” leadership of John Setka and his close friendship with a “colourful identity” and building industry fixer, together with an influx Continue reading »
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The Bezosmoth
Behold, now behemoth … Behold, he drinketh up a river … The Book of Job, 40: 15 and 23. Continue reading »
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New rights for union delegates with surprising origins and effects
On 1 July, an important change in the industrial relations landscape came into force. Industrial awards (‘modern awards’, as they’re now called), that set minimum standards in workplaces, will include guarantees of rights for workplace union delegates. All new enterprise agreements must also include such provisions. Continue reading »
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Does closing the loopholes matter?
Three big things have happened with the passage of the second half of the ‘Closing Loopholes’ Bill through Federal Parliament on Monday. Continue reading »
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The compulsion to intervene why Washington underwrites violence in Ukraine
Allow me to come clean: I worry every time Max Boot vents enthusiastically about a prospective military action. Whenever that Washington Post columnist professes optimism about some upcoming bloodletting, misfortune tends to follow. And as it happens, he’s positively bullish about the prospect of Ukraine handing Russia a decisive defeat in its upcoming, widely anticipated, sure-to-happen-any-day-now spring Continue reading »
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British company found liable for Beirut Port blast
Savaro Ltd, a shell company reportedly operated by Ukrainian businesspeople, has been found responsible for the damages caused to over 200 victims. Continue reading »
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Is hydrogen for export over-hyped?
There is a good deal of hype about the potential for exports of Hydrogen. But there are technical and competitive reasons to question how large a boom it will be. There are other opportunities in the low-carbon world, and the need to decarbonise the economy is urgent. Continue reading »
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Australia: An Electric Vehicle Battery manufacturing powerhouse?
Is it too late for Australia to enter the global market for Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB) manufacturing? It has become apparent that Australia’s exit in 2016 from local car production has made it more difficult for us to participate fully in one of the 21st century’s fastest growing, technically advanced and environmentally critical industries. Continue reading »
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Death of Elizabeth marks return to Little England
The passing of the beloved monarch will herald the inevitable descent of this once-powerful nation from global empire to no more than a fractured island. Continue reading »
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China is muscling Indonesia but not with war threats
Unlike Australians, Indonesians don’t fear war with China. Their concerns are more prosaic – debt, work and the virus of atheism. Continue reading »
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Industry policy for a changing world
The Biden administration’s ambitious new AUD 400 billion industrial policy initiative once again confronts Australia with the question of whether we want to be in the forefront of science and innovation, or way back in the slipstream. Continue reading »
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Avoiding a gas shortage is one thing, but what’s needed is action on prices
The Albanese government has accepted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s recommendation to “initiate the first step” to trigger the controversial Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism to avert a supply crisis in eastern Australia. Continue reading »
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Alan Pears: Climate action will drive disruptive change, but we can build on past experience…
Election May 2022 – a new beginning for climate and energy policy? Continue reading »
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The minimum wage decision, inflation and the low paid
The Real Unit Labour Cost is presently 20 per cent lower than it was in 1986 meaning the growth in productivity gains to employers has been substantially higher than the growth in real wages. Continue reading »
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Agriculture industry condemned to becoming a growing centre for exploitation and abuse
The Senate report on temporary migration makes many excellent recommendations, but also misses opportunities. Continue reading »
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BossKeeper: ports giant Qube bullies its way into JobKeeper and plush bonuses
Shipping group Qube Holdings will give back $17m in JobKeeper subsidies but pockets $13.5m and some fancy executive bonuses despite its revenue rising strongly. How did it pull this off? Callum Foote investigates how the Liberal Party-linked Qube gamed the Tax Office. Continue reading »
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Porter’s IR bill: ‘tearing a gaping hole in the award safety net’
The government’s Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill before parliament was drafted at the end of a six-month consultative process that brought together employer and employee representatives to chart what the prime minister hoped would be “a practical reform agenda, a job making agenda”. Continue reading »
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Farmworker exploitation a systemic issue
The continuing problem of underpayment of farmworkers is not simple. It will not go away. It certainly will not go away by adopting the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) bubble tunnel of workers from New Zealand or other ships in the worker solution. Continue reading »
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Coalition’s war on casual workers a harbinger for assault on permanent workers
The workplace abuses of the 18th and 19th centuries have returned under the guise of the gig economy. The Morrison government has now proposed sweeping changes to labor laws that will cut wages, entrench precarious work, cripple unions and hand dictatorial power to bosses. But if the IR bill becomes law, permanent workers will also Continue reading »
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Bad Gig: industrial relations “reform” bill delivers flexibility … for employers
When one-third of casuals work full-time hours, almost 60% have been with their employer for more than a year, and more than half cannot choose the days they work, is the “flexibility” of a casual job really for the benefit of employees? Continue reading »
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BRIAN LAWRENCE. The Government’s tax package and Labor’s response: the perspective of a cleaner
The Government’s tax package is unfair to low paid workers. In response, the Labor Opposition has just announced that it will support Stage 1 of the package, within which is embeded much of that unfairness. How might we reduce the unfairness? Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Corporate failure in Australia. They just don’t get it.
There is a growing and unfortunate litany of corporate failures in Australia – and not just the banks and energy suppliers. There is wage theft on a large scale. Instead of addressing their own obvious failures the BCA accuses its critics of business bashing and waging class war. As Warren Buffett put it ‘there is Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. We are paying an enormous price to keep Christopher Pyne in Parliament
The Coalition Government ended our car manufacturing industry which had an Effective Rate of Protection of 8%. It employed 200,000 people. We are told by the Government that the void in SA will be filled by building the new French submarines in Adelaide. The won’t. There will be only about 2000 new jobs in SA Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS Bill Shorten, Chris Bowen, Steve Bannon and the TPP
When Bill Shorten on camera announced that Labor would support the TPP he looked like a schoolboy telling the teacher that the dog ate his homework. Bill knew his excuse was phony. Will the TPP be the issue that finally forces the ALP back to the labour movement or will the Party fudge its way Continue reading »
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BHIM BHURTEL. Nepal looks toward China as a measure of last resort
After an exchange of high-level trips between Nepal and India, Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is to land in Beijing on Tuesday for a five-day state visit. It will be his second state visit since his accession to the Prime Minister’s Office after his party’s landslide victory in the general election in November. Continue reading »
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JOHN WARHURST. The Coalition’s special disrespect for unions.
The raid on the offices of the Australian Workers Union by the Australian Federal Police demonstrates a disrespect for trade unions contrary to the Catholic tradition. Since the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891, Catholic Social Teaching has recognised the right of workers to join together collectively in unions as an important element of the Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE. Base politics or incredibly clumsy policing?
Police raids on political parties or associated institutions at any time should raise concerns – and the hackles – among democratically minded citizens. The recent raids on AWU offices in Sydney and Melbourne, seemingly in search for “dirt” on Bill Shorten’s time as head of the Union, should be ringing alarm bells. Are the police Continue reading »
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NAISHAD KAIN-REN. Saudi Arabia’s Footprints in Southeast Asia
Saudi Arabia’s increased influence in Muslim-majority countries will have wider ramifications for ASEAN. Continue reading »
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STEPHEN LONG. Reserve Bank boss Philip Lowe urges workers to push for pay rises
It wasn’t quite Karl Marx, but, for a central bank boss, it was heady stuff: The Reserve Bank governor, no less, exhorting workers to demand higher pay rises. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL WALKER. Three strategies unions are considering for their survival
There are three strategies unions, in danger of lsing their relevance, can consider for their survival: Teaming up with other community groups, aligning with particular professions and finding members online. Continue reading »
