FUTURE OF UNIONS
Union membership in Australia hits a new low of 12.5% – but it can be turned around
Union membership in Australia hits a new low of 12.5% – but it can be turned around Just before Christmas, the ABS released its latest data on trade union membership. Not
In a COVID-normal world of work, Australians need unions now more than ever
In a COVID-normal world of work, Australians need unions now more than ever As we head into the federal election, get ready for a Coalition scare campaign on ‘union power’
The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line
The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line Today, my book ‘The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line’ is out in the world,
The future of unions …
The future of unions … Subscribers may have noticed a considerable lull in activity on the blog! I’ve been very busy completing the book mentioned below, which will come out
McCormick Foods workers want a pay increase – their dispute shows Australia’s enterprise bargaining system is broken
McCormick Foods workers want a pay increase – their dispute shows Australia’s enterprise bargaining system is broken Picture: Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, addressing workers at the McCormick Foods picket line,
Collectivising the gig economy: In the pandemic, it’s a matter of life and death
Collectivising the gig economy: In the pandemic, it’s a matter of life and death Anthony Forsyth, RMIT University and Labour Law Down Under Blog. This post was recently published in
The Identity of the ‘Employer’ in Australian Labour Law: Moving Beyond the Unitary Conception of the Employer
The Identity of the ‘Employer’ in Australian Labour Law: Moving Beyond the Unitary Conception of the Employer Anthony Forsyth, RMIT University and Labour Law Down Under Blog This article was
Unions in the Fair Work Act Decade – and the Aftermath of ‘Change the Rules’
Unions in the Fair Work Act Decade – and the Aftermath of ‘Change the Rules’ This post includes some edited extracts from my recent article: ‘Ten Years of the Fair
Jelle Visser’s ‘revitalisation’ option is a viable way forward for unions – here’s how
Jelle Visser’s ‘revitalisation’ option is a viable way forward for unions – here’s how This week, I spoke at a Victorian Fabians event on ‘Organised Labour and the Future of
How did the United States brand of union-busting become a thing?
How did the United States brand of union-busting become a thing? This is an edited version of a book review I wrote earlier this year for the journal ‘Labour and
Victoria’s On-Demand Inquiry Report calls out the gig economy’s ‘entrepreneur’ myth and recommends much-needed reform
Victoria’s On-Demand Inquiry Report calls out the gig economy’s ‘entrepreneur’ myth and recommends much-needed reform An edited version of this post was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 16
The ‘gig’ is up: lifting the lid on the World Economic Forum’s “Charter of Principles for Good Platform Work”
The ‘gig’ is up: lifting the lid on the World Economic Forum’s “Charter of Principles for Good Platform Work” Last month, the World Economic Forum published its Charter of Principles
The United Workers Union: new unionism starts here
The United Workers Union: new unionism starts here The United Workers Union (UWU) commenced operating today, arising from the merger of the National Union of Workers (NUW) and United Voice
An Australian perspective on the Uber/Lyft representation debate in California
An Australian perspective on the Uber/Lyft representation debate in California This is an edited text of my presentation at the ACTU/Melbourne Law School Symposium on the Centenary of the ILO,
Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman finds Uber drivers are contractors: so what can unions do now?
An edited version of this post, including discussion of the “contractor model” of gig platforms, was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 14 June 2019: ‘Employee or not? What the
2019 Federal Election Debrief: Where next for Australia’s unions and the ‘change the rules’ campaign’?
An edited version of this post was published in The Conversation, 23 May 2019: ‘Where to now for unions and change the rules?’. Well, very few people saw that coming: a Coalition
New ABS figures show Australian unions have halted membership decline, but the battle is far from over
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data published today show that union membership density has remained essentially the same over the last two years. (ABS, Characteristics of Employment, Australia (Cat. 6333.0, August 2018),
Foodora case: first definitive Australian ruling that a gig worker was an employee
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has determined that former Foodora delivery rider, Josh Klooger, was an employee whose employment was terminated unfairly. (Klooger v Foodora Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FWC 6836,
What does collective representation look like in Australia’s gig economy?
I’ve posted below a presentation I gave to the SERI Outreach Conference in May 2017. It takes a preliminary look at some aspects of the evolving approach to regulation of
#changetherules & ‘Australia needs a pay rise’ rallies – what are they all about?
Today, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) held large protest rallies in Melbourne, Sydney and other cities as part of a program of protests occurring around the country this
