Australian Institute of Employment Rights
Ron McCallum
Debate
Big questions.
Different voices.
A fairer world of work.
Australia’s annual forum for unions, industry, government and independent voices to debate the issues shaping working lives.
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the past three editions.
2011—2025
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15 debates · newest first
Now or never?
How can we make workplace relations fairer & more productive?
The fifteenth debate marked AIER’s twentieth anniversary with a discussion of fairness, productivity and the future of workplace relations.
Artificial intelligence at work
Trick or treat?
A Halloween special exploring artificial intelligence and its implications for the world of work.
Voices & work
Reform, challenge, diversity and the universal fair go.
Whose voices are heard in a changing world of work? A debate about diversity, reform and a fair go for all.
Work relations in times of crisis and change
How can we future-proof work relations?
A discussion of the future of work relations, alongside the launch of AIER’s book, A New Work Relations Architecture.
More from 2022
Are we still the lucky country?
The future of workplace relations in Australia.
The eleventh debate considered the future of workplace relations in Australia.
Labour relations & pandemics
Past, present, future.
The tenth anniversary debate explored the pandemic’s impact on work and the possibilities for reform.
More from 2020
Representation & voice in the new world of work
Who speaks for workers in a changing economy?
The ninth annual debate brought together perspectives on representation, workplace change and workers’ voices.
Collective bargaining
Delivering in the public interest?
An examination of enterprise bargaining and the future shape of collective bargaining in Australia.
The system is broken. What is the fix?
Rethinking workplace relations.
A debate about the failings of the workplace relations system and proposals to repair it.
Inequality & insecurity
Responding to the challenge of precarious work.
An exploration of insecure work and its implications for workers, business and society.
Free to associate?
Freedom of association and collective representation.
A discussion of the role of unions and employer organisations in workplace relations, society and politics.
How do workplace relations shape our society?
Work, regulation and the lives we lead.
The fourth debate asked what kind of society we want and how the regulation of work shapes it.
Should the IR pendulum swing again?
The third annual Ron McCallum Debate.
The 2013 event announcement, with the debate topic, date and venue.
Productivity, fairness & workplace rights
Nimble, productive and equitable workplaces.
The second debate examined productivity and the relationship between workplace rights, fairness and economic performance.
More from 2012
Justice at work
Have we achieved it? Can the system deliver it?
The inaugural debate honoured Ron McCallum and opened a national conversation about justice at work.
More from 2011
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Resources vary by year. Each debate page brings together the material available for that edition.
The Ron McCallum Debate
A forum for the
future of work.
Held in honour of AIER patron Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum, this annual debate brings different perspectives together around the questions that matter for working people and our society.
Presented by the Australian Institute of Employment Rights.
Sponsored by Harmers Workplace Lawyers.