In yesterday’s blog, we commented on the state of play in enterprise bargaining in Australia. So what’s the outlook for enterprise bargaining in Australia? Here’s the top 7: Collective bargaining remains unlikely to be the answer for productivity gains – as has been the case for some time. Nor will it deliver the across-the-board wages growth sought. Of course, there will be exceptions to the rule. But my observation here is one generally about the…

A consistent theme in recent years for both employers and unions is that enterprise bargaining is broken. The genesis of enterprise bargaining in the mid 1990’s lay in its potential to generate productivity gains at a time when workplaces were strangled by terms and conditions set for whole industries and occupations, divorced from the particular needs of a workplace. At the time, enterprise bargaining presented opportunity. But this potential is all but exhausted. Most negotiations…

Our clients care deeply about innovation and technology. We know this from our engagement with clients including discussions triggered by reflecting on the findings of the CSIRO’s Workplace Safety Futures report. Our clients care about “machines” (including “robots”, artificial intelligence, biometrics and the harnessing of big data) being developed as a result of innovation and technology because of the unprecedented efficiencies and improvements in safety they unlock. These benefits come with a potentially profound human…

It is widely proclaimed that we are in the midst of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR). The leaps and bounds that are being made daily in information technology and biotechnology signal the end of homo sapiens or provide liberating freedom for the working masses, depending on which commentator’s view you believe. For us, the daily lived experience of the 4IR in working and home life is not yet as cataclysmic nor as emancipating as the…

We are excited to announce that Erin Hawthorne has been promoted to partner. Although we have grown through lateral partner appointments over the past few years, Erin is the first promotion to partner from within the team since the Australian offices of Seyfarth Shaw opened in Australia. “Erin has been a leader in our team since Seyfarth opened doors in Australia, and her promotion to partner recognises this”, said Australia Managing Partner, Darren Perry.…

On 12 December 2013 Seyfarth Shaw announced our Australian offices were officially open for business. Today marks five years since those doors opened. What better way to reflect than to ask ourselves, what have been the biggest changes in our specialist areas of law over those five years? “It has become increasingly difficult to make enterprise agreements that are compliant, genuinely enterprise-focused and fit for purpose due to increasing modern award complexity combined with the…