Changes on the horizon for industrial relations
Industrial relations will be one of the hottest and most contested issues in Australia this year. For nine years, the Howard Government has had most of its industrial relations legislation knocked back by the Senate, but this is set to change in July, when the Democrats lose the balance of power. State Governments are worried about Howard forcing them to hand-over their Industrial Relations powers to a single unitary Federal system. And unions are concerned about the outcomes for workers if the Liberal-controlled Senate cuts award entitlements and pushes for individual employee contracts. Leonie Phillips spoke with the Director of the Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training, Ron Callus and Sharan Burrow, President of the ACTU.