New Year union pranks that will hurt workers

Far-left unions haul Australia off to some labour law tribunal in Switzerland to complain that Australia is in breach of International Labour Organisation conventions. It doesn’t matter whether we have a Coalition government or a Labor government, the song remains the same. Janet Albrechtsen

Business lobbies and ALP a little too cosy?

John
Roskam
(Photo:
IPA)

John Roskam, executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, in an opinion piece on Friday asked, “What are business organisations for? Do they exist so their chief executives can sit on government advisory boards and have afternoon cocktails at the Lodge? Or is their purpose to forthrightly represent the interests of enterprises and employers? If the answer is the latter, then lately the performance of the nation’s business organisations has been none too brilliant.”

On Labor’s new Fair Work Bill and industrial relations, Roskam was quite pointed:

“The impression allowed to be created by business organisations was that even though they would have preferred the coalition’s industrial relations policies, on balance they could live with the Labor alternative. The problem was that business didn’t actually know what the Labor alternative was. When business found out it was too late. More

Libs find IR weak spots

IN her campaign to introduce Labor’s industrial laws, Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard harks back to heritage and adopts the classical pose of Britannia dressed for combat, with a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other. Dennis Shanahan

The waterfront drama that Aunty did not show

IF the ABC wanted to make a drama about the waterfront in Australia, one may wonder why it didn’t look at a matter rather more dramatic and significant than that depicted in Bastard Boys, and one that has been suppressed with Orwellian thoroughness by the Australian history industry: the waterfront strikes that occurred throughout World War II, and at times when Australia’s national survival appeared to be at stake. More

Turnbull must axe industrial ideology

MALCOLM Turnbull has to turn the Rudd Government’s industrial relations policy into a economic debate about jobs if he’s to extricate himself from dancing with a dead cat called Work Choices. Dennis Shanahan

Fair Work Bill may lead to unemployment

According to the Rudd Government’s own analysis, the Fair Work Bill may lead to more unemployment and less full-time employment. Gerard Henderson

Fair Work Bill exceeds Labor’s mandate

Chris Platt

The Opposition would be entitled to challenge Rudd Labor’s Fair Work Bill because the Government had gone beyond its mandate, Chris Platt, the Australian Mines and Metals Association’s Director for Workplace Policy, told ABC radio today.

There was a clear madate to retain the existing right of entry provisions, but the Government has gone beyond that, Mr Platt said. More

Turnbull on the Fair Work Bill

The Coalition accepts that the Rudd Government has a mandate for workplace relations change as proposed in their election policy last year.

The Coalition accepts WorkChoices is dead. The Australian people have spoken.

The Government’s changes to workplace relations come at a very difficult time for the Australian economy. We take the Government on trust that these changes have been carefully considered and will not cost jobs. More

No blank cheque for industrial reform

Media reports last week suggest that Gillard has assured unions that they will be given access, albeit on a limited basis, to non-members’ employment details in future. Malcolm Colless

Gillard breaks promise appeasing the union movement

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has given ground to the union movement and reversed her explicit policy commitments as she finalises her workplace relations legislation. More

IR change must be balanced

A rewrite of the complex Australian industrial relations system is a big and controversial task at any time. Doing it in the midst of an economic storm makes it daunting and risky. Peter Anderson

Workplace Relations legislation must create jobs

Thu, 6th November 2008
Mr Michael Keenan MP
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

The Rudd Government must demonstrate how its new workplace relations legislation is going to create jobs, says Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Michael Keenan.
Mid Year Fiscal and Economic Outlook 2008-09 figures indicate unemployment will rise. More

Unions flex muscles, pressure Labor

According to The Australian, unions have ramped up their campaign to have the Australian Building and Construction Commission scrapped, “heavying Labor MPs across a number of states to break ranks with Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard over the issue.” More