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The last two decades in Australia has seen a dramatic decline in permanent work, and corresponding growth of insecure forms of employment, such as casual, contract work and labour hire. The full extent and impact of this shift on workers, their families and the Australian community has never been formally investigated. The Australian union movement has commissioned an independent inquiry to examine the extent of the insecure work and its impact on workers, their families and the community, and to provide recommendations on measures that can be taken to address any problems that are identified. A panel of experts and community members chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe will conduct the inquiry and report to the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Congress 2012 on its findings. This paper draws on existing union experiences and policy as well as international experience and is intended to begin discussion on this important topic by identifying possible industrial and policy responses that may go some way towards reducing job and income security. It has been prepared by the ACTU following extensive consultations with Australian unions about the incidence, drivers and potential solutions to the problem of insecure work. Show less

The Australian Jobs and Skills Summit provides a unique opportunity for the representatives of employers, workers and civil society to come together and collaborate in the national interest. In that spirit, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) agree that achieving and sustaining full employment should be the guiding framework of the Summit and the Employment White Paper. This agreement advances policy proposals to assist with achieving this in a number of priority areas, including: (1) achieving and sustaining full employment; (2) removing barriers to employment participation and lifting people out of poverty; (3) improving our workplace relations system; and (4) the care economy and community services. They represent common ground between the parties, and do not represent the complete policy positions of either party.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

This joint statement is based on the common view of the Confederation of Australian Industry (CAI) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) that cooperation between employers and the labour force is vital to the development of more efficient enterprises and industries in Australia. It documents agreed objectives and principles with the purpose of translating these into workplace action. The specific objectives of the statement are to: (1) register the mutual commitment of the parties to cooperation in the development of improved industrial relations, efficiency and competitiveness throughout Australian industry; (2) highlight the shared conviction of the parties that the future success of Australian industry requires the adoption of cooperative effort in individual enterprises, and cooperation is best achieved by furthering the practices of information sharing, communication and the active involvement of employees at the workplace in pursuing mutually beneficial objectives; (3) establish a framework for furthering cooperation at the industry level and at the level of individual enterprises; and (4) encourage stakeholders to adopt the principles and processes outlined in the statement. Show less