The AIER works with leading academics, legal experts and IR practitioners to undertake research and publish discussion papers in the areas of labour law, workplace relations and organisational culture.
View our research reports, presentations and discussion papers here or return to our work.
Discussion Papers.
Labour Relations & Pandemics: Past, Present, Future (Debate Briefing Paper 2022)
2020 Debate Background Briefing Paper
Representation and Voice in the New World of Work (Ron McCallum Debate Discussion Paper 2019)
2019 Ron McCallum Debate discussion paper
The 2018 Ron McCallum Debate Summary: ‘Collective Bargaining: Delivering in the public interest?’
The Institute’s eighth Ron McCallum Debate was another great success and we were thrilled to be joined by John Hendy QC, Chair of our sister organisation, the British Institute of Employment Rights. Our panel engaged in robust discussion about the failings of...
The System is Broken: What is the fix? (Ron McCallum Debate Discussion Paper 2017)
2017 Ron McCallum Debate discussion paper
UBI and the Future of Work
AIER’s Executive Director, Clare Ozich, contributed to a recently released report, “Can Less Work Be More Fair? A discussion paper on Universal Basic Income and shorter working week”. Clare’s essay considers the potential for reconsidering our relationship to work.
Inequality and Insecurity – 2016 Ron McCallum Debate Discussion Paper
The Australian Institute of Employment Rights today released its Discussion Paper, Inequality and Insecurity: Responding to the challenge of precarious work, ahead of the 2016 Ron McCallum Debate.
Free to Associate? McCallum Debate Paper 2015
“Free to Associate” 2015 Ron McCallum Debate Discussion Paper available now
The Ron McCallum Debate 2012 Discussion Paper
The Background Briefing Note for the 2012 Ron MCallum Debate was released on 1 August 2012. Productivity Discussion Paper 1 August 2012
The Fair Work Bill and Beyond Discussion Paper
Written by Rhodes Scholar Joanna Mascarenhas, former Senior Presidential Member of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission The Hon Paul Munro, and AIER Executive Director Lisa Heap, this discussion paper on the goverment's Fair Work Bill argues that the time...
Call for A Charter of Employment Rights
Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) President Mordy Bromberg SC and Executive Director Rob Durbridge set out the case for a consultation among lawyers, academics, unionists, employers and the general community about a rights-based approach to employment...
Presentations.
AIER at the IRSQ Convention
AIER recently attended the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland’s annual convention. The theme was “Back to the Future”.
Our presentation included the AIER’s analysis of why the system is broken and an outline of our ambitious project to envisage a new workplace relations architecture.
Democracy, power and work
Freedom of association and workplace democracy are key rights that need to be revitalised if we are to address growing wealth and income inequality, argues AIER’s Executive Director in this address to the International Employment Relations Association conference.
Thoughts on the Regulating for Decent Work conference
AIER attended the 4th Regulating for Decent Work conference held at the ILO in Geneva last month. Clare Ozich from AIER presented a paper along with Colleen Chen from Interns Australia on the rise in organisations advocating for the rights of interns. The paper...
Responding more effectively to workplace grievance
AIER's Executive Director, Clare Ozich, was very pleased to have participated in a recent panel discussion on "Responding more effectively to workplace grievance". the discussion was hosted by the Victorian Association for Dispute Resolution and the Victorian...
Recent Changes to Industrial Relations Law – The Benefits of Experience
Former Justice and Presidential Member of the AIRC, the Hon Paul Munro, delivered his address, Recent Changes to Industrial Relations Law - The Benefits of Experience, at the recent Law Institute Victoria's Workplace Relations Conference in Melbourne. The Law...
Current Workplace Relations Environment: Positives and Negatives
A transcript of the Hon Paul Munro's speech on the application of the new industrial relations environment at the recent Workplace Relations Brunch as part of the Clubs NSW Conference & Trade Expo, held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. I retired...
Better Together: The Promotion of Sustainable Workplace Relationships
The Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) Executive Director Lisa Heap delivers an address to the Fair Employment Advocate Forum on finding a compact which promotes sustainable workplace relationships. Firstly in opening can I acknowledge the traditional...
WorkChoices: Hobson’s Choice at Work
In an address at the recent Australian Labour Law Association Conference in Brisbane Rob Durbridge, the Executive Director of Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER), questions the Howard Government’s recent WorkChoices amendments and explores options for...
Reforming Australian Industrial Relations?
In his address as part of the 21st Foenander Lecture, Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) Advisory Committee member Joe Issac explores the place of the WorkChoices legislation within the framework of an economically efficient and socially fair industrial...
Research Reports.
Getting Ahead or Exploitation: A comparative analysis of the rise of internships…
AIER's Executive Director, Clare Ozich, along with Colleen Chen from Interns Australia have presented their paper "Getting Ahead or Exploitation: A comparative analysis of the rise of internships and collective actions to advance the rights of interns" at the...
Preventative Health & Workplace Culture
The Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) undertook a considerable body of research exploring the links between poor workplace culture and its detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of working people. The study, which formed the basis of a...
Paper Rights: The Role for Voluntary Compacts on Labour Rights
Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) member and Senior Advocate for the National Union of Workers (NUW), Tim Lyons, presents a paper on AIER's Charter of Employment Rights from a union perspective. The Charter of Employment Rights developed by AIER is an...
The Perth 107: The Right To Strike Contest
Labour law researcher Chris White presents a background report on the prosecution of 107 construction workers involved in a strike on the Perth-Mandurah railway project. The unprecedented prosecution of 107 construction workers for striking on the Perth-Mandurah...
Collective Bargaining & Union Recognition Rights: Policy Issues for Australia
What is the most appropriate system to provide statutory recognition and protection of collective bargaining rights in the Australian context? This research report by the Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER) provides an overview of systems of collective...