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This paper examines industrial disputes during the Rudd-Gillard political era. Claims made in the public arena implying a steep rise in the volume of disputes are tested. The analyses of other academic researchers are updated in the light of a longer run of data being now available. Among other things, it is found that during the entirety of the Rudd-Gillard era the (per-quarter) volume of disputes was proportionately larger during the second half of the era than during the first half. Also, during the time that the Work Choices Act was operative, the (per-quarter) volume of disputes was around half of that experienced during the Rudd-Gillard era. A different perspective on these data is gleaned, however, when making longer-term comparisons. Two preceding political eras are compared: the Howard Era of 1996-2007 and the Hawke-Keating era of 1983-1996. In its entirety, the Rudd-Gillard era registered a far lower volume of disputes than that registered in the earlier eras. The long term (three-decade) decline in the volume and frequency of disputes is noted and a number of hypothesised explanatory factors are discussed. Keywords: Industrial Disputes; Strikes; Fair Work Act (2009); Rudd; Gillard, 'A fly before his own eye is bigger than an elephant in the next field'-- Chinese proverb INTRODUCTION The Australian Labor Party (ALP) came to office after the December 2007 [...]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2008.00510.x Byline: L. J. Perry ([dagger]) Author Affiliation: ([dagger])School of Finance and Economics, University of Technology, Sydney Article History: May 2008

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2006.00426.x Byline: L. J. Perry (1) Abstract: Abstract This article reconsiders the argument advanced or endorsed by a large number of leading Australian academics and others that labour productivity growth in New Zealand fell markedly during the period in which New Zealand's Employment Contracts Act 1991 (ECA) was operative-that is, for most of the 1990s. On the one hand, based on total economy estimates developed by The Conference Board and the Groningen Growth and Development Centre, labour productivity growth was unexceptional though a little higher than the New Zealand average of the last three decades or so. On the other hand, based on newly released official estimates of New Zealand's 'measured sector' (which accounts for about two-thirds of the total economy), labour productivity growth was almost identical to that of Australia during the EC A period. This in turn suggests that New Zealand's labour productivity growth rose markedly for the measured sector during the EC A years. All in all, the evidence presented in this article is inconsistent with claims that the period of the EC A was associated with relatively weak New Zealand productivity growth. Selected issues arising from these findings are briefly canvassed. Author Affiliation: (1)School of Finance and Economics University of Technology, Sydney Article History: First version received March 2006; final version accepted August 2006 (Eds).

The international pattern of strike activity has been a source of interest to both policy makers and researchers. The worldwide decline in strike activity over the last decade or two [...]

Aims: Although many workers have graded preinvasive squamous lesions arising in the bronchus, there has been no consensus classification system until the latest edition of the WHO/IASLC histological classification of pulmonary and pleural tumours. Because the value of any such system is dependent on its reproducibility, we have circulated a series of such lesions to a panel of histopathologists to assess interobserver and intra-observer variation when the WHO/IASLC classification was applied. Methods and results: Colour transparencies of 28 preinvasive squamous lesions were assessed by six histopathologists (two with a special interest in pulmonary pathology, two generalists and two trainees) on three separate occasions over a period of 3 months, using the criteria of the WHO/IASLC (mild, moderate and severe dysplasia, and in-situ carcinoma). An additional category of metaplasia was added for those cases that showed no dysplasia. Weighted kappa coefficents of agreement (K[sub w]) were used to evaluate paired observations with a standard quadratic weighting being employed, such that kappa coefficients corresponded to intra-class correlation coefficients. Wilcoxon's sign-ranked test was used to measure the statistical significance of group trends, when comparing kappa values for the three grading systems. Various 3-point systems were also assessed, through combination of the above groups. Intraobserver agreement was substantially better than interobserver variation (mean: 0.71 vs. 0.55). Between the various pathologist groups, inter-observer variation was relatively minor, although intra-observer variation was higher within the trainee pathologist group. Using weighted kappa values, there was no significant difference in either inter-observer or intra-observer agreement between the five point grading system and a 3-point system of metaplasia/mild, moderate and severe/in-situ grades. However, there was a significant increase in variation when a 3-point system of... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines productivity growth and resource utilization in relation to industrialization in Singapore. Indepth look at the role of the manufacturing sector in Singapore; Discussion on Singapore's economic conditions; Performance of Asia's newly industrialized economies (NIEs).

The purpose of this paper is to examine the hitherto unexplored relationship between wage movements (&Wring;) and trade union militancy (TUM) during the inter-war period. This study is seen as an adjunct to my two post-war studies of wage movements and trade union activity in Australia, see [18] and [19]. Briefly the post-war studies revealed a strong positive relationship between TUM and wage movements in Australia. Further, the level of TUM seems to be systematically related to fluctuations in the level of unemployment and the rate of change in prices. This study reaches similar conclusions for the interwar period. The structure of the paper is as follows: section II presents a model that ties in wage movements with TUM while section III presents some empirical estimates of the model. Conclusions follow in section IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven indicators of trade union militancy are briefly discussed and sub sequently tested as primary determinants of wage inflation in Australia from 1962 to 1976.It is found that there is a strong positive relationship between the preferred indicator of trade union militancy and Australian wage inflation. The indexation of wages to price level changes in 1975 and 1976 is also seen to be a significant, though secondary, factor explaining wage inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

USA, UK and Australian wage inflation experiences during the post-World-War-II period are examined principally within the framework of the long-rum Philips curve model. Attention is drawn to the sensitivity of wage rate changes to retail price level changes and to the possibility of a temporal change in this relationship. The analyses of these countries are compared so as to highlight similarities and differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the Phillips curve economics in Australia. Concern of the workers with the real wages; Effects of the introduction of cost of living adjustments in wage rates on the wage outcome; Role of price changes in determining money wage changes.

Focuses on the relationship between trade union activity and post-war inflation in Australia. Testing of the Hing hypothesis for Australia; Union-militancy-based Philips curve model; Empirical estimates for the period 1953 to 1976.