The Productivity Commission has produced an extensive two volume draft report into major public infrastructure.  Not surprisingly, industrial relations features in the draft report. Relevant here is the impending Productivity Commission review of workplace regulation which we have written about previously.  The two volumes comprise almost 600 pages. Industrial relations is dealt with specifically in some 50 pages, but to varying degrees influences much of the analytical backdrop to the report.  This is not surprising given the report’s focus on the scope for reducing costs and improving productivity when it comes to the construction of major public infrastructure.
Continue Reading Lessons from the Productivity Commission, Public Infrastructure & IR

Right through to the end of 2013, many unions and a number of employers applied to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for a modern enterprise award.  Where such an application is successful, a modern enterprise award would cover employees rather than one of the 122 industry or occupational modern awards that the FWC made between 2008 and 2010.
Continue Reading Enterprise award modernisation process kicks off in earnest

The ink has barely dried on the last round of variations to modern awards resulting from the 2 yearly review commenced by the FWC in 2012, but the 4 yearly modern award review is just around the corner.  The review is proposed to be conducted in 4 stages with around 30 awards in each stage.  It is estimated that each stage will take around 4 to 6 months (with some stages overlapping) and the process is expected to conclude in mid-2015.
Continue Reading Another round of modern award reviews coming in 2014