Trust Me, I'm Fair

For three decades, John Howard has been on a slow march to end centralized wage-fixing and to break the power of trade unions. In opposition and in government, the Prime Minister has not wavered in his determination to destroy one of the nation's most enduring principles: that wage levels should be set by an independent arbitrator. Talk about a stayer! Australia's industrial relations system has been gradually changing since Labor introduced enterprise bargaining in the early '90s. Now, having taken control of the Senate in July, Howard has a chance to transform it. This should be a good time for a...