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Graeme Watson

Contributor

Graeme Watson was formerly the vice-president of the Fair Work Commission, and a senior IR adviser to the Morrison government. He is currently a partner of Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

Graeme Watson

January

This is the year the union delegates come knocking

The unions have won greater workplace access for their delegates, as the labour movement struggles to instil old-school industrial conflict into a new generation.

July 2023

New laws will be written on management’s ability to direct their workforce.

Labor amendments to reverse unions’ High Court defeats

The third wave of IR changes will give unions victory after recent High Court losses on contracts, casuals and the status of officials. Employers face more uncertainty.

January 2023

The unions can now override both bosses and ordinary workers to re-open agreements.

It’s the year Labor brought the conflict model back to workplaces

Even the pro-union Biden administration has not handed unions the powers over employers and workers that Australia’s labour movement has got from Labor.

January 2022

The Maritime Union is once more in the sights of a Coalition government.

Union militancy is a major threat to the recovery in 2022

The increase in disputes in 2021 wasn’t a blip. It’s part of a coordinated strategy to supercharge protected industrial action under enterprise bargaining.