Rebel union to line up against Minister, employers over award changes; ROC's Enright gets right of reply to Labor Senator; Award changes to support vehicle sector "in crisis"; Simplifying awards "code" for making profits, says academic; and Who's dipping into super?
Bargained wage rises in the private sector dropped to 2.7% a year in the September quarter, according to newly-released Attorney-General's Department data that also shows some large retail employers are starting to tie increases to the FWC's annual review.
The "largely invisible" non-union agreements stream that has been a distinguishing feature of Australia's IR system for more than 25 years has been all but ignored in public and academic debates over the past decade, according to leading researchers.
Average wage increases in private sector agreements approved in the September quarter have reached 3% a year for the first time since 2016, according to Jobs Department data released today.
Less than 2% of private sector workers will be covered by agreements by 2030 if the current rate of decline in bargaining continues, according to new analysis by the Centre for Future Work.
The legal definition of employee should be broadened to cover anyone who agrees to supply their labour, according to a new book on addressing Australia's wage stagnation.
The 2016 ruling that a new enterprise agreement covering Coles failed the Better Off Overall Test helped trigger a dramatic fall in enterprise bargaining, according to new research
Union calls for a return to industry-wide bargaining to boost workers' earnings have won the backing of the OECD, which says in its annual global employment report that negotiations across industry sectors can lead to "lower wage inequality".
In a development that might fuel debate over the links between union power and wage rises, substantially above-average pay increases secured in the heavily-unionised construction sector have pushed bargained private sector wage rises off their recent historic low.
A review of the 2015 amendments to the Fair Work Act's greenfields agreements provisions has rejected union pleas to axe "last offer" arbitration - despite a failure by employers to utilise it - and has recommended reducing from six months to three the "negotiating period" before the FWC can break deadlocks.
