LABOR PRODUCTIVITY – AUSTRALIA

Lagging on robotics risks $2.2trn boost

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 9-Aug-17

A report produced by economic consultancy AlphaBeta has concluded that around nine per cent of Australian-listed companies are investing in automation, compared with 20 per cent of US companies. The report notes that an increased commitment to automation could boost the nation’s economic output by about $A1trn by 2030, while productivity would also increase significantly. The report was produced on behalf of Google.

CORPORATES
ALPHABETA, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Morrison needs to go micro if he wants big results

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Original article by Stephen Anthony
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 3-Jan-17

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison needs to focus on stimulating growth in Australia’s productivity which can be achieved by more rigorous commitment to budget repair and taxation reform. Government spending must be curtailed and more attention must be paid to waste reduction. It would be desirable to establish an independent parliamentary infrastructure office whose role would be to coordinate infrastructure projects. More competition is needed in sectors which still use restrictive business and labour practices.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Heavyweight miners predict little respite

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 22 : 4-Jan-16

Former Rio Tinto CEO Leigh Clifford says commodity prices may not rebound for another 3-5 years, and mining companies with high production costs in particular face challenging conditions. Former Orica chairman Malcolm Broomhead says action is needed to boost labour productivity, and he has urged the Australian Government to pursue reforms in areas such as industrial relations and taxation in order to boost productivity.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, KKR AND COMPANY LP

Competition reforms to ‘end decline in growth’

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 6 : 25-Nov-15

The Australian Government released its response to the Harper review of competition policy on 24 November 2015. It has endorsed the bulk of the review’s recommendations, although proposed changes to laws on abuse of market power will face additional scrutiny. Meanwhile, Treasurer Scott Morrison is confident that the Government’s competition reforms will result in wide-ranging benefits for consumers and provide a much-needed boost to productivity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Open up economy or suffer for years

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Rick Wallace, Rick Morton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Oct-15

The head of the Australian Government’s competition review, Ian Harper, has called for urgent action to address the nation’s decline in productivity. He has warned that annual growth in productivity could fall to around one per cent unless action is taken, noting that Australians face lower growth in incomes and lower living standards. Harper says the Government should adopt the approach to economic reform that boosted productivity in the 1990s.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

The credits roll for arts and recreation productivity score

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 21-Jul-15

New data from the Productivity Commission shows that Australia’s arts and recreation industry achieved an 8.2 per cent increase in labour productivity in 2013-14. In contrast, there was a modest fall in productivity in the mining, construction and manufacturing industries. Meanwhile, the output of arts and recreation companies increased by 2.6 per cent, despite a 5.6 per cent decline in labour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Unions push for casual worker rights

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Mar-15

The ACTU wants casual workers to have a legal right to compulsory arbitration when employers do not "bargain in good faith". The ACTU will present its views on the matter in a submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into workplace relations. The Australian Industry Group argues in its submission that workplace agreements should include a mandatory clause about measures to improve productivity

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Mining wages too high, says Mitsui

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 26-Sep-14

Mitsui Australia CEO Yasushi Takahashi has questioned whether the nation’s high wages in the mining sector are sustainable. He argues that productivity needs to improve in order to justify the high labour costs relative to other resources-rich countries. Meanwhile, Takahashi expects the price of coal and iron ore to begin to recover by the end of 2014, and he suggests that the oversupply of iron ore could potentially be over by 2017

CORPORATES
MITSUI AND COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MITSUI AND COMPANY LIMITED, SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX SGM, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL

Shell’s man cans corporate welfare

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Original article by Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 18 : 21-Aug-14

The Committee for Economic Development of Australia on 20 August 2014 heard from Andrew Smith, the chair of Shell Australia. He argued that the industrial relations system needs to be overhauled in order to ensure further productivity gains, which in turn will improve living standards. Smith honoured the victims of previous reforms that had from the 1970s on dismantled the trade tariffs protecting many industries, and also said businesses must not rely on government aid

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED,ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC,WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL,COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA

Hot-desking hit with landlord

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 22-Jul-14

Commercial landlords are not worried by a new trend in office space management. Hot-desking, or activity-based workspaces (ABW), has not had a negative impact on office occupancy rates despite what had initially been expected. Charter Hall co-MD David Southon does not see a major contraction in space requirements. Charter Hall expects ABW to generate cost efficiencies and productivity gains in its office tower at 1 Martin Place in Sydney

CORPORATES
CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION, JONES LANG LASALLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD