
Issue No 60		30 June 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Trades Hall

Neale Towart's Labour Review

More from the Answers Man about the bright and bubbly world of industrial relations.

AWAs: an unfair regime

Tim Ferrari, Assistant National Secretary of the LHMU, offers the alternative view on AWAs to that presented by Grant Poulton (Labour review no. 41).

Ferrari highlights the myths of AWAs, put out by the Government and the Employment Advocate and nails them one by one. These include:

 The myth of choice

 The myth of pay improvement

 Myth of the employee's

 The myth of equality of bargaining power

 Myths of equal flexibility and give and take

 Myth of freedom to refuse an AWA

http://www.workplaceinfo.com.au Australian Business website. Conference paper

Enterprise bargaining: the evolving agenda

ACIRRT paper assessing trends in enterprise agreements as they are now emerging. Two distinct streams are seen, union driven agreements and employer driven agreements and the traits of each category are outlined here.

Where unions have relatively high rates of coverage the push is increasing for job security and stronger employee control over flexibility and leave provisions. Employers, on the other hand, seek to increase flexibility on their own terms and lock in productivity at the expense of all else, and seek to marginalise union influence.

Framework agreements are a common union tactic, and some large employers are happy with this as it ensures a more co-ordinated approach all round.

Employer use of casuals and sub-contractors are targeted by unions in job security campaigns and are key organising issues.

http://www.workplaceinfo.com.au Australian Business website.

Work For All

An Australian Options leaflet attacking the acceptance of high unemployment. This Outlines the problems and suggests action. Part of a national campaign (hopefully)

(Australian Options; no. 21, May 2000)

Manufacturing Jobs

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) has developed a five point plan for employment generation in Australia.

 A buy Australian campaign and strategy to replace $5billiuon in imports each year for a decade with goods made in Australian factories

 Infrastructure investment program to improve road, rail, water, sewerage and communications infrastructure

 Develop a new generation of manufacturing businesses

 Deal for manufacturing workers to encourage them to stay within the industry by providing greater job and income security

 International coalition to promote and achieve fair trade rather than so-called free trade

(Australian Options; no. 21, May 2000)

Globalisation and Labour Regulation

A collection of articles from a conference on globalisation, jointly co-ordinated by the Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, are published in the latest Journal of Industrial Relations (JIR).

Some are theoretical, developing ways of understanding the impact of globalisation on industrial relations theory, while others look at the actual impact of changes on industrial relations regulation and practice.

(Journal of Industrial Relations; vol. 42, no. 2, June 2000)

Stress in the Workplace: solving the problems

Daniela Guidara

Productivity has increased by 2% in Australia over the past twenty years. To break this low productivity cycle, Guidara argues that there is a need to focus on one factor - employees and the "people factor". To be effective in this area there is then a need to acknowledge the problem of stress in the workplace and to manage it. A strategy is outlined here involving facilitating change, overcoming inertia and lifestyle management.

(Occupational Health and Safety Update; newsletter 5, 1 June 2000)

The Cost of the "Recession We had to Have"

Bruce Chapman and Cezary Kapuscinski argue that the downturn of 1991-92 was exacerbated by the government over-reaction. The critical role of high interest rates in slowing growth should have been recognised as having significant implications for long-term unemployment. Even by acting to moderate the impact on employment slightly at the time would have meant 25% less long-term unemployment today. Recession avoidance rather than something we have to have would be sounder strategy.

(The Australia Institute; no. 23 June 2000)

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 60 contents

Interview: Turning Tides
ACTU President Sharan Burrow reflects on the disappearance of the middle class and what the union movement can do about it

Unions: Fear and Loathing in Wollongong
For four days this week, too much unionism was barely enough. We bring you the highs and lows from behind the scenes and inside the bars of this week�s ACTU Congress.

Politics: The Group Hug
Opposition leader Kim Beazley came, saw and conga-ed. Here's what he said to the ACTU Congress.

History: Unions and Family Trees
Trade union records may not be the first port of call for a beginning family historian, but down the track a little, these records could bring to life an ancestor who previously was just a name printed on the page.

International: Fiji Bans Lifted
Fiji employers are expected to start reinstating all their workers over the next week, now that Australian union bans have been lifted at the request of the local union leadership.

Review: Room to Manoeuvre
Full employment with a highly skilled well-paid workforce is a realistic goal for Australia, despite the supposed constraints of globalisation.

Satire: Satan Subpoenaed To Cricket Inquiry
The King Commission of Inquiry into cricket match-fixing yesterday heard evidence from Satan that he never influenced Hansie Cronje to accept bribes.

» Delegate Rights Up in 48 Hours

» Email Express to Orange Rally

» Nose Stud Leads to Sacking

» Shaw Walks, Costa Considers Future

» Reith's Waterfront Ghost Returns

» Free Trade: Debate We Have to Have

» Superannuation to Hit 15 Per Cent

» ATSIC Chief Calls for Workplace Quotas

» Those Bastards in There

» Strike Marks Resurgence In Community Sector Activism

» Casino Olympic Pay Deal

» NSW School Staff Ban GST Work

» Workers Online Wins ACTU Media Award

» Update: Computer War Hots Up

» STOP PRESS: Pay Equity Decision Handed Down