Employers and their associations found themselves in a more complex environment largely of their own making. Desired change through the federal system appeared too incremental yet repeated association calls for a hardening of the Workplace Relations regime fell foul of the Senate. At state...

The expected surge of employer militancy did not eventuate on the legislative or industrial fronts. Employers appeared largely satisfied with the federal regulatory framework and continued to experiment with the choices it offers. In an election year and facing an unwilling Senate, they pulled...