The Australian Building and Construction Commission’s decision to press charges against 54 steelworkers for attending a political rally, with potential fines of up to $42,000 per person, is abhorrent on any level. No worker should face this kind of intimidation for participating in peaceful protest.

You would think that after 5 consecutive years of wage forecasts that wildly overestimated actual experience, the government might have learned from its past errors – and published a wage forecast more in line with reality. But not this government. They are still trying to convince Australian workers, who haven’t seen real average wages rise in over 5 years, that better times are just around the corner. And rosy wage forecasts are helpful in justifying their equally optimistic revenue forecasts: since if Australians are earning more money, they will be paying more taxes!

124 labour policy experts have today published an open letter calling for proactive measures to help accelerate the rate of wages growth in Australia’s economy. The legal experts, economists, and other policy analysts agreed that “stronger wages in the future would contribute to a stronger, more balanced and fairer Australian economy,” and they proposed several broad strategies to boost wages.

A unique conjuncture of economic and political factors has created an opportunity for a historic change in the direction of Australia’s workplace and industrial policies. That’s the conclusion of Dr. Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work, in a major review article published in Economic and Labour Relations Review, an Australian academic journal.

There has been a lot of discussion about “living wages” in recent years – in Australia, and internationally. And now the idea has become a hot election topic. The ACTU wants the government to boost the federal minimum wage so it’s a true living wage. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has hinted he’s open to the idea. Business leaders predict economic catastrophe if the minimum wage is increased.

Over the summer, we have been busy recording what Tasmanians think about a whole range of issues. Tassie is cool and tourism is hot – with our state having the largest rise in visitor numbers this quarter. Whilst some in the South and East are worried about over crowding and under funding of infrastructure, the

Australia’s manufacturing sector has been experiencing an important and welcome rebound during the last two years. The turnaround has been documented and analysed in previous Centre for Future Work research (including studies published in 2017 and 2018 as part of the National Manufacturing Summit, co-sponsored by the Centre).

Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work, was recently featured in a new video produced in collaboration with United Voice and the Flip production company.

Australian wage growth has decelerated in recent years to the slowest sustained pace since the 1930s. Nominal wages have grown very slowly since 2012; average real wages (after adjusting for inflation) have not grown at all. The resulting slowdown in personal incomes has contributed to weak consumer spending, more precarious household finances, and even larger government deficits.

Wednesday 21 November is Australia’s official “Go Home On Time Day,” sponsored by the Centre for Future Work and the Australia Institute. This represents the 10th year of our initiative, to provide light-hearted encouragement to Australian workers to actually leave their jobs when they are supposed to. Instead of working late once again – and allowing your employer to “steal” even more of your time, without even paying for it – why not leave the job promptly. Spend a full evening with your family or friends, visit the gym, see a movie – do anything other than work.

The Centre for Future Work recently published a symposium of research investigating the long-term decline in the share of Australian GDP paid to workers (including wages, salaries, and superannuation contributions). The four articles, published in a special issue of the Journal of Australian Political Economy, documented the erosion of workers’ share of national income, its causes, and consequences.

New analysis by The Australia Institute shows that based on Medibank Private’s annual report, the company tax cut would be a $554.9 million gift over the first decade of the cut to just this one company. Return to Revenue Watch $ million Profit 2017-18 628.3 Company tax 2017-18 183.2 Benefit from company tax cut based

New analysis by The Australia Institute shows that based on Coca-Cola Amatil’s annual report, the company tax cut would be a $201.7 million gift over the first decade of the cut to just this one company. Return to Revenue Watch $ million Profit 2017-18 232.1 Company tax 2017-18 66.6 Benefit from company tax cut based

New analysis by The Australia Institute shows that based on Sydney Airport’s annual report, the company tax cut would be a $65.4 million gift over the first decade of the cut to just this one company. Return to Revenue Watch $ million Profit 2017-18 194.8 Company tax 2017-18 21.6 Benefit from company tax cut based

New analysis by The Australia Institute shows that based on Seven Group’s annual report, the company tax cut would be a $192.3 million gift over the first decade of the cut to just this one company. Return to Revenue Watch $ million Profit 2017-18 468.7 Company tax 2017-18 63.5 Benefit from company tax cut based

New analysis by The Australia Institute shows that based on Lendlease’s annual report, the company tax cut would be a $825.7 million gift over the first decade of the cut to just this one company. Return to Revenue Watch $ million Profit 2017-18 1,066.2 Company tax 2017-18 272.6 Benefit from company tax cut based on