Industrial Relations Articles:

For the September quarter building and construction work is down 11 per cent compared to last year. This release is a memory-jerker reminding us what we confront in terms of the monopoly boosted costs of this essential component of capital investment. On the Bolt Report of 21 November, Kimberley Kitching 

HALF a century ago more than 60 per cent of employees were trade union members. Today it’s 17 per cent. Even that overstates union membership’s importance since, in addition to employees, the workforce also includes two million non-union workers — businesspeople and contractors — more in fact than there are union members.

Shortengate contains so many threads that it could unravel not only his and others’ political carrears but the entire corrupt and feudal structure that is Australia’s unique industrial relations system. Remember, we have the only system in the world where a judicial body determines what the pay rates should be for the vast majority of workers.

I have been intrigued about why Daniel Andrews canned the Melbourne East West road link. The standard answer to save inner city seats does not wash as those seats were always going Green and in mollifying the inner city denizens he aggravates potential users from more winnable seats in the East

The recently concluded B20 meeting in Sydney was addressed by Australia's top politicians and the cream of Australian business chiefs, including Rupert Murdoch, BHP's Andrew Mackenzie, and Energy Australia's Catherine Tanna.

Union leader Paul Howes maintains the cause of Australia's industry competitiveness loss is energy policy, not Australia's labour regulations and toleration of militants. It would be helpful if Mr Howes shared his insights into the harmful effects of regulatory-boosted energy costs with his ALP colleagues

ACCORDING to Dun and Bradstreet's business survey, firms are optimistic about 2014, but the departures of Ford and Holden this year bring big concerns.

Because businesses increasingly compete with international rivals, relatively small cost increases can force radical decisions. To survive against overseas competition, firms must pursue productivity improvements and cut out excessive costs.

Introducing the new industrial relations package this week Julia Gillard had a tough job. The minister was aware that unions account for only 12 per cent of working people in the private sector. But she had to reward her soul mates in the union movement,

Two weeks ago the Fair Pay Commission awarded a 4.1 per cent pay increase to the 1.3 million workers who earn the minimum wage. While most countries have some form of minimum wage, Australia has a relatively high proportion of people actually earning it. Whereas in the US and Japan the minimum wage is only one-third of average earnings

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Following the Statistician's release of the 2001 trade union membership, ACTU President Sharan Burrow declared, "The long term trend of declining union membership appears to have stabilised with two years of net growth."

The Fox-Lew proposals for Ansett would take us forward to the past. There was a time when each Australian manufacturing industry was granted a tailored tariff. This was 'scientifically' designed to offset the cost advantage of overseas competitors due to excessive wages and other conditions .

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The push for a 36-hour week in the construction industry has nothing to do with workers having more leisure. It is about having overtime pay kick in quicker.