Leo

Much has been made of the likely industrial relations reforms once the libs get control of both houses. As someone who works in industrial relations I believe that the changes are not as radical as many like to suggest, particularly the unions. There has been no suggestion of doing away with the minimum wage safety net, nor the award system, nor any of the other 'social wage' improvements of the Hawke/Keating years (eg superannuation, etc). The Howard government has consistently rejected the more radical free market lobbyists who want to completely free up the employment market by scrapping wage and award protections and make industrial relations legislation subject to the Trade Practices Act. Howard has rejected this approach by keeping the minimum wage safety net and award system in place. Any bargaining cannot go below these minimum standards, taken as a whole. If you read the radical free market commentators, you will start to think that Howard is almost a moderate! I don't think their control of both houses will be as disastrous for industrial relations as the unions and those on the further left side of politics have been suggesting.