Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

'Workers Online' no more

By Jim McDonald - posted Thursday, 14 December 2006


There is also a number of research centres in universities, which provide accessible online working papers about labour related research, including the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work in the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies, the Industrial Relations Research Centre at University of NSW, Centre of Full Employment and Equity at University of Newcastle.

Other sites providing a source of labour movement perspectives on industrial relations include The Australian Fabians and the Victorian based Union Solidarity.

Several blogs from time to time address industrial relations issues. Occasional commentary is published on Billy Blog by Professor Bill Mitchell, Mark Bahnisch runs Larvatus Prodeo with some posts on IR issues. Tim Dunlop's The Road to Surfdom is probably the most consistent blog with IR commentary.

Advertisement

None of these provides a labour-oriented industrial relations news function.

Fee-paying subscription news sources for industrial relations are to be found at WorkplaceInfo, which is published by the employer association, Australian Business Limited. WorkplaceInfo has a limited number of links to media articles available without cost during weekdays.

Another subscription service, Workplace Express, provides access to industrial relations news exclusively to paying subscribers. A third, less well-known pay subscription source is Lawlex. Lawlex sends out a comprehensive weekly Industrial Relations Newsfeed email newsletter to subscribers.

The only comprehensive free service is IR Policy, which is an IR news clearing house, with some additional and irregular commentary and other resources. IR Policy, however, is a one-person operation and a decision is to be made about its future before Christmas.

Union members and other workers can also access union websites for specific IR news items. Leading the pack in accessibility and consistency in provision of federal industrial relations news to their membership are the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the "white collar" unions - the Australian Services Union and the Community and Public Sector Union - and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union. However, many of the union websites either provide news accessible to members only or their web presence is out of date and spasmodic or under-utilised. The ACTU provides easily accessible information and resources for its Rights at Work campaign and its media releases on various topics.

Part of the problem with providing an ongoing and consistent labour movement-oriented news service is having the organisational backing providing staff and resources. Workers Online appeared to have both. However, its driving personnel appear to be adopting a policy development orientation.

Advertisement

While that is essential for the labour movement, especially while it is under attack from the neo-conservative ideological program of the Howard Government, workers also need to keep abreast of developments across the board. This is absolutely an imperative as the Howard ideology seeks to isolate workers from each other.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

4 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Jim McDonald was high school and TAFE teacher in the 70s, an active unionist for 20 years, a union official for a decade, and taught industrial relations courses for 15 years at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at USQ and Griffith Universities. He stood for The Greens in Wide Bay during the 2010 Federal election and for Noosa in the 2012 Queensland election. He is presently a Queensland Greens Spokesperson and is a delegate to the Queensland Greens Council.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Jim McDonald

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Jim McDonald
Article Tools
Comment 4 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy