There was evidence of a very modest acceleration of wage growth in late 2003. The workplace reform agenda slowed in 2003, with the federal government attempting to outlaw any apparent manifestations of union power, such as pattern bargaining and bargaining fees, through legislative reform. No...

The number of employees covered by certified agreements increased during 2001, but wage determination remained fragmented. The inflationary impact of higher oil prices and the depreciation of the Australian dollar in the second half of 2000, when the economy was also absorbing the impact of the...

In this review, we provide a description of the macroeconomic environment prevailing in 2002, as a backdrop to an analysis of movements in wages, with particular reference to the Safety Net Adjustment in May. We conclude that there is no evidence of an acceleration of wage growth in 2002. A...

In 2004 money wages continued to grow at a moderate rate within Reserve Bank limits. In May, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission raised the federal minimum wage by $19 as part of the safety net adjustment. The workplace reform agenda of the federal government continued to be largely...