Latest News

AIER Submission to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019

The AIER today made a submission to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019.

We argue the proposed amendments are in direct violation of Australia’s labour and human rights obligations under international law, violating the free and democratic administration of trade unions, which is fundamental to the ability of workers to protect their rights at work and further the social and economic interests of the population.

As proposed, we argue the EI Bill represents a targeted regime of substantively and procedurally unfair sanctions that:
• may be initiated by an unreasonably broad range of actors;
• are available on the basis of a wide variety of grounds, conflating serious crime and civil or technical breaches; and
• fail to adequately distinguish between individual and organisational liability.

As such the proposed Bill represents a significant over-reach to the recommendations of the Heydon Royal Commission and risks upsetting the balance between the benefits of registration under federal law and external regulation of an organisation’s internal affairs and activities.

We urge the Committee to recognise the greater cost of denying internationally accepted human rights for democratic civil organisations and their members, and recommend the unequivocal rejection of the EI Bill.

Read our full submission here.

Featured Project

A New Workplace Relations Architecture

Australia’s current workplace relations system and related laws are failing to provide a fair go for people who work and those seeking work. The AIER is embarking on an ambitious project to develop a new workplace relations architecture. This is a bold project to that will look to reconfigure industrial relations, human rights and health and safety laws and regulations. As a society we are facing significant economic and social challenges, including profound and rapid changes in the way work is organised and conducted. At the AIER we believe the situation cannot be rectified by tinkering around the edges with minor reform. We have released our project plan and welcome input and comment.

 

Vale, Bob Hawke

AIER 2006 Work Choices Debate

With the recent passing of inaugural AIER Patron, Hon. Bob Hawke, we have been looking back over his launch of the Institute and involvement in our early debates and events. Here’s our first debate moderated by Jana Wendt and featuring:

• Hon. Bob Hawke
• Hon. Joe Hockey
• Hon. Stephen Smith
• Professor Ron McCallum
• Assoc. Professor Paul Gollan
• Sharan Burrow, ACTU
• Peter Tighe, CEPU
• John Robertson, Unions NSW
• Mark Goodsell, AiG
• Stephen Smith, AiG
• Michael Harmer, AIER
• Hon. Mordy Bromberg
• Fiona Hardie, AIER

 The footage begins at about 5 minutes, enjoy!

Upcoming Events

The 9th Annual

Ron McCallum Debate

Representation and voice in the new world of work

4:00pm – 6:00pm, Thursday 31 October 2019
UTS Auditorium, Dr Chau Chak Wing Building
14-28 Ultimo Road, Sydney

Join us in this, the centenary year of the ILO as we discuss and debate the role and form of representation and voice in the new world of work. Asking what does freedom of association – a foundational principle of the ILO – need to look like 100 years on? and how should it be expressed?

Moderated by the Hon Geoff Giudice AO, with reflections from Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum AO, the panel discussion will feature:

• Natalie James, Partner, Deloitte and former Fair Work Ombudsman;
• Professor Rae Cooper AO, The University of Sydney;
• Michael Kaine, National Secretary, Transport Workers Union; and
• Sue Bussell AM, Partner, Workplace Relations Advisory, KPMG.

 

A free public event

Register here 
to secure your place

 

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