O75 Public Administration

Strike action almost extinct

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 1 : 30-Jan-18

A report produced by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work shows that there has been a 97 per cent decline in industrial action since the 1970s. The author of the report, Jim Stanford, says the sharp decline in industrial action has contributed to the low growth in wages over recent years. However, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson argues that a range of other factors affect growth in wages, while ACTU secretary Sally McManus says Stanford’s report highlights the need for industrial relations reform.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Job growth brings end to nation’s income recession

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Jan-18

Leading economists Chris Richardson and Saul Eslake say a number of factors suggest that Australian wages will begin to rise after 18 months of stagnant growth. They cite factors such as strong growth in jobs during 2017 and a growing shortage of skilled labour. Eslake also notes that real net national disposable income per capita is now increasing at a faster pace than real gross domestic product per capita. He adds that while wages growth appears to have bottomed, the official unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent will need to fall before there is sustained growth in wages.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, STANDARD AND POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Strike limits may extend to service sector – expert

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 29-Jan-18

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey says the Fair Work Commission’s decision to suspend strike action by Sydney train drivers has set a "worrying precedent". The ruling was based on a section of the Fair Work Act which allows protected industrial action to be suspended if the welfare of the public could be at risk. The University of Sydney’s Professor Shae McCrystal says the ruling could potentially apply to a broad range of service industries, such as schools, childcare centres and medical clinics. The Rail, Tram & Bus Union’s national secretary Bob Nanva claims that the FWC ruling signals the "death of the right to strike" in Australia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, UNIONS NSW, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, SYDNEY TRAINS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Doyle allies say it’s time to resign

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-Jan-18

City of Melbourne councillors Beverley Pinder-Mortimer and Susan Riley have urged Lord Mayor Robert Doyle to step down in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Pinder-Mortimer and Riley are both members of Team Doyle. The former replaced Tessa Sullivan, who resigned from the council after making the initial allegation against Doyle. However, several other councillors have questioned whether it is appropriate for Pinder-Mortimer and Riley to comment at present, given that the allegations against Doyle are still under investigation.

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MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL, MELBOURNE HEALTH, ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL

Final bid to stop $100m rail strike

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Original article by Andrew Clennell, Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Jan-18

Hopes of averting a rail strike in Sydney may rest with the Fair Work Commission, after members of the Rail, Tram & Bus Union voted against the New South Wales Government’s proposed wage deal for train drivers. FWC deputy president Jonathan Hamberger will shortly decide whether the planned strike action on 29 January can lawfully proceed. Train drivers will commence a ban on working overtime on 25 January, ahead of the proposed 24-hour shutdown of the rail network.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, SYDNEY TRAINS, TRANSPORT FOR NSW, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF COMMERCE. OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, SYDNEY BUSINESS CHAMBER, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Labor’s Fair Work plan insane

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Jan-18

Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott has criticised the Federal Opposition’s proposal to give Fair Work Commission more power to arbitrate industrial disputes. He argues that the FWC is already dominated by former union officials and Labor supporters, adding that it would be "insanity" to give it more power. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says the FWC’s existing powers to intervene are sufficient.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU

Trade pact to deliver GDP boost

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 25-Jan-18

Independent modelling has concluded that Australia stands to gain more from the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership than if the US had agreed to join the trade bloc. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has estimated that Australia’s GDP could potentially grow by more than one per cent by 2030 as a result of the trade deal. The 11 nations participating in the TPP will officially sign off on the deal in March, and it must then be ratified by Federal Parliament.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, PETER G PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Inflation Expectations unchanged at 4.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-18

Australians expect inflation of 4.5% per year over the next two years, according to the Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations Index for December 2017. This is unchanged for a second straight month, although it is up 0.3% from December 2016. The increase in Inflation Expectations over the last year has been driven by significant increases in the two resource intensive states of Queensland and Western Australia as the mining industry has recovered strongly. However, Inflation Expectations remain well below the seven-year average of 5.0%. Analyses of Inflation expectations by Federal voting intention shows that ALP supporters (4.6%) have inflation expectations just above the national average and clearly higher than L-NP supporters (4.0%) although both increased in December. In contrast, the Inflation Expectations of Greens supporters fell to 4.2%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Aussies tourists say No worries about President Trump

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was conducted in the year to November 2017, has found that 17.9% of Australians aged +14 would like to holiday in the US for at least one night in the next two years – up 0.5% on a year ago. Interviewing for the latest overseas holiday intention results was conducted entirely after the election of Donald Trump in November 2016, and it shows that the controversial US President has not had a negative impact on holiday intentions to the US. Other leading overseas holiday destinations include New Zealand, mentioned by 13.7% of Australians (unchanged from a year ago), and the UK, which was mentioned by 13.4% of Australians (up 0.2% from a year ago). The leading Asian destination was again Japan, mentioned by 8.1% of Australians and showing the most impressive growth over the past year – up by 1.4% and now ahead of traditional European holiday destinations France (7.3%) and Italy (7.0%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Trade win after Pacific deal sealed

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jan-18

Canada has agreed to become a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with the 11-nation regional trade pact expected to be formally signed in March. Australia’s Trade Minister Steve Ciobo says the majority of tariffs currently imposed by TPP member nations will be scrapped under the new trade deal. The future of the TPP has been in doubt since US President Donald Trump withdrew from it, while Canada’s participation has been uncertain.

CORPORATES
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)