The book that offered, through a series of essays, the Labor Council’s radical critique of labour market and labour law reform in NSW.

(1990) Industrial Relations, the Grinning Mirror and Inflation

It is an irony that for most of the 1970s and earlier, the most vocal and strident critics of the Australian centralised and regulated wages system were located well to the ‘Left’ of the industrial relations mainstream. Such critics alleged that the centralised conciliation and arbitration system acted against the interests of unions when seeking to extract the best possible deal from employers.

Photo from an ACTU delegation’s visit to Japan in 1989. In the frame are Tom Barton (then Assistant Secretary, Queensland Trades and Labor Council, later a State MP in Queensland, 1992 to 2006, and a Queensland government minister, 1998 to 2006), Michael Easson and Michael McLeod, recently appointed ACTU International Affairs Officer (who was ex-Labor Council of NSW).

(1990) Economic Directions in the 1990s: Japanese-Australian Dialogue

Thank you for this in­vitation to talk about a few ideas. In looking at Japan, in looking at the experience of the Japanese economy and the industrial relations system of Japan, it is interesting for an Australian trade union official to think about ‘how did Japan achieve the economic successes that it has over the last three decades?’ and ‘what lessons there might be there that are applicable to Australia?’

(1990) Introduction to Australia and Immigration: Able to Grow?

(1990) Introduction to Australia and Immigration: Able to Grow?

In 1990 there were many reminders that the post-war consensus about immigration to Australia no longer existed. Some spokespeople from all of the major parties were critical about some aspect of the immigration intake. The government decided to reduce the target of 140,000 – set after the Fitzgerald Committee review of Australia’s immigration policies – down to 125,000 for 1990-91.

(1990) What It Means To Be Labor

(1990) What It Means To Be Labor

Soon after the formation of the Labor Party there was an intense debate about what it means to be Labor. How could it be otherwise? After the Labor Party won 36 seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly elections in June 1891 splits occurred over the issue of caucus solidarity. Questions arose as to the right alliances and tactics to be pursued.