1,958
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Presidential Address

Addressing problems for labour not problems of labour: the need for a paradigm shift in work and industrial relations policy

ORCID Icon
Pages 11-21 | Received 22 Feb 2022, Accepted 06 Mar 2022, Published online: 09 Mar 2022
 

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the policy framework governing work and industrial relations in Australia and other liberal market economies is stuck in an outdated paradigm fixated on solving problems of labour that have diminished or no longer exist, such as excessive union power and overt forms of industrial conflict. This policy framework is poorly equipped for addressing increasingly urgent problems for labour, such as growing inequality and workforce insecurity. Drawing upon neo-pluralist ideas and the findings emerging from industrial relations research, the article presents recommendations for what a new industrial relations policy framework would look like. It advocates for the adoption of a neo-pluralist policy paradigm focused on the creation of quality employment, worker wellbeing, redistribution in bargaining and wage determination, fairer labour immigration policies, stronger protections against gender-based inequalities, and increased job security.

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Jim Arrowsmith, Marian Baird, Stephen Clibborn, Rae Cooper, Bradon Ellem and Russell Lansbury for generous and helpful feedback on draft versions of this article and to Daniel Dinale for assistance with the presentation that it was based on.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 279.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.