This is the website of Alex White, in Melbourne Australia, a campaigns and communications professional working in the trade union movement.

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Tag Archives: Industrial Relations
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Significant IR changes possible through regulations, other Acts

Tony Abbott said that he won’t change the Workplace Relations Act in his first term of government, and Eric Abetz says the only “tweaks” will be to regulations. Significant changes to the industrial relations regime in Australia is possible through regulation changes, and to amendments to other Acts. For example, the Higher Education Workplace Relations [...]

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Opposition IR Shadow Minister cut from Reith cloth

Workforce Daily has a few interesting takes on Eric Abetz’s elevation to the IR portfolio as part of the new Opposition Shadow Ministry. (No link unfortunately, as it’s an email newsletter). Abbott: Abbott praised Abetz for his “long-interest in employment issues and his record of standing up for the rights of employees and small business [...]

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Blog Action Day

Blog Action Day

Today (15 October) is Blog Action Day – a day when bloggers from around the world commit to promoting a single cause (climate change this year) and thus raise awareness of that cause. Climate change is, simply, the greatest ethical, political and policy problem of our age. Climate change is something that is close to [...]

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LabourStart Photo Competition

LabourStart Photo Competition

For all you inspired unionists out there, I strongly encourage you to enter the LabourStart Photo Competition. It’s a great initiative, and there are already some really good photos that have been submitted. This year I entered the photo you see here. It’s a picture I took in December 2008 of a protest out the [...]

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Was Work Choices a Roadblock to Productivity?

Was Work Choices a Roadblock to Productivity?

A critical assessment of the Work Choices laws in addressing its stated aims and objectives The 2005 legislation, Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act represented one of the most fundamental shifts in industrial relations laws and Commonwealth-State relations since Federation. With the principle aim of Work Choices to “unleash a new burst of productivity growth”, [...]

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Online social activism and Twitter

A large part of my job is online communications: blogs, social networking, and new fads like Twitter. A big challenge is how to use these tools in a meaningful way to support the campaigning and organising activities of the union. How can we engage our members and supporters using the social networking tools they are [...]

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collective-bargaining

Australia needs strong collective bargaining

The right to collectively bargain was gutted by the Howard Government… unfortunately it looks like the Rudd Government may squib at fully restoring that right. Under the WorkChoices laws, Australian workers have no enforceable right to collectively bargain. Employers can indefinitely delay collective bargaining, denying their employees rights. Collective bargaining at a workplace level is [...]

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