THE PRODUCTIVITY Commission (PC) has failed employers, employees and the Australian community by giving our unnecessarily complicated workplace relations system a free pass and not properly considering how it should be fundamentally reformed for the future.

That is the view of national resource industry employer group, AMMA (Australian Mines and Metals Association) executive director for policy and public affairs, Scott Barklamb.

"While recommending some useful changes to elements of our current employment laws, today’s 1229 page PC report fails to deliver a proper plan for how our workplace relations system can best support jobs, productivity and competitiveness in Australia’s 21^st Century economy," Mr Barklamb said.

"The PC fails to address how uncoordinated, excessive regulation is harming our competitiveness as a place to do business, invest and create jobs. Australia is the only country in the world to overlay awards, agreements, minimum standards and regulation of day-to-day relations between employers and employees.

"Unions are also artificially placed at the centre of our workplace laws when just 11% of private sector employees join them. 

"Australia’s business community recommended a raft of positive ideas to the PC to genuinely reform our workplace relations system and expected the PC to deliver options for meaningful change. Anything less risks failing not only existing employers and employees, but young people whose future livelihoods hinge on this generation’s will to properly address serious national challenges," Mr Barklamb said.

"The PC’s 21 pages of recommendations do contain some positive ideas that will improve our workplace relations laws and that will be supported by employers.

"However, the PC needed to do more than blithely conclude our overall system is not in need of fundamental repair. It is very disappointing the PC appears to have made only piecemeal, uncoordinated recommendations across a limited subset of areas, rather than thinking about how our workplace relations system could be improved.

"AMMA and its members welcome the Minister for Employment, Senator Michaelia Cash, opening a period for further input to government on how the PC’s report and recommendations should be progressed. We will use planned roundtable discussions to further advocate the national benefits of more meaningful reform, as well as engage with the PC’s specific recommendations.

"AMMA will encourage the Turnbull Government to put jobs, investment, productivity, growth and our future living standards at the centre of how it proceeds following the PC report, and we welcome the Minister’s prioritisation of these concerns as she released the report today," he said.

"Genuine workplace reform can deliver real benefits for Australia. For instance, independent research showed that key workplace reforms advocated by AMMA could support resource sector productivity growth of up to 5% and investment growth of 8%, add $30.9 billion to Australia’s GDP and create 36,000 additional jobs."

www.amma.org.au

ends

THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is encouraging shoppers to hit supermarkets and other fresh food retailers this weekend and early next week to avoid the traditional last minute rush for Christmas groceries expected on Wednesday and Thursday.

Fresh food, perishables, alcohol, and other groceries, along with last minute gift purchases will be top of shopper’s lists this week as Aussies stock up on food and beverages for Christmas entertaining, or to tide them over on Christmas Day when stores may be closed.

Australian consumers are expected to spend almost $19 billion on grocery items this Christmas, up 2.5 percent on last year. The ARA ‘s top seller predictions for groceries in the next week include boxed chocolates, confectionary, ham, turkey, seafood, chips, dips and crackers.

“The sharing of meals and drinks with friends and family is a huge part of an Australian Christmas, and as a result, retailers of both food and drink products fare very well over the period,” Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the ARA, said.

“Fresh foods in particular, as well as alcohol are big sellers in the five days to Christmas, with many consumers also stocking up for Boxing Day parties and gatherings in anticipation of the day of no trade on Christmas Day.

“We recommend all consumers hit the stores early next week to avoid the queues that inevitably form in stores at this time of year and ask that shoppers remain patient as retail staff manage the increased number of customers,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Seafood will be one of the most popular fresh foods, as Australians continue their tradition of a cold lunch to counter the warmer southern hemisphere weather.

Sydney Fish Markets is expecting more than 100,000 shoppers to visit the market in the 36 hours from 5am December 23 to 5pm December 24, with more than 660 tonnes of seafood, including 130 tonnes of prawns to be sold.

“Seafood is one of those items that cannot be as easily purchased in advance, but there are many seafood retailers who will be taking orders well in advance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to ensure customers don’t miss out. We advise shoppers to take advantage of retailer’s pre-order offers, whether for seafood, turkey or hams wherever they can,” Mr Zimmerman said.

ARA ROY MORGAN PRE-CHRISTMAS 2015 SALES PREDICTIONS

November 15 - December 24, 2015

2015 Pre-Christmas Sales Growth by State

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

2015 Pre-Christmas Sales Growth by Category

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

ends

THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has come out in support of the Productivity Commission’s Workplace Relations Framework final report, which emphasises the need for penalty rates need to be set at an economically viable level to support further retail and economic growth while creating more jobs.

Russell Zimmerman, ARA Executive Director, says retailers are happy to have determination of penalty rates left to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) as the ARA has a case currently before the FWC that we believe will influence a reduction in retail penalty rates to a more viable level to more create jobs.

“The ARA, along with the Master Grocers Association is engaged in a review of the General Retail Industry Award 2010 (GRIA), with the view to reducing costs for retailers who trade on Sundays,” said Mr Zimmerman.

The ARA is pushing for a reduction in Sunday penalty rates from 100 percent, known as double time, to 50 per cent, or time and half for retail workers. The ARA is not seeking to remove penalty rates, but instead to have penalties set at a more viable level to allow for the creation of more jobs.

“The recommendation that Sunday penalty rates for retailers should be aligned with Saturday rates is an important step in the recognition that rates are not currently viable for retailers,” he said.

“The retail industry is seeking a moderate reduction, not an abolition. We propose a reduction to allow retailers more flexibility around employment of staff to be able to compete in the 24/7 global marketplace we now find ourselves in.

“The fast food and restaurant industry Awards are both significantly lower than the GRIA for Sunday penalties at just 50 percent, and we would like to see the GRIA brought down to match this.

“The decision on standards such as penalty rates have always been made by independent arbitrators and this is a process the ARA will continue to support, as long as it remains fair and within a reasonable framework,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Retailers fully support the recommendations of the Productivity Commission’s report and look forward to working with the Government and its arbitrator the FWC to achieve these objectives.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

ends

RECOMMENDATIONS to bolster Victoria’s higher education sector by strengthening our position in the international education market are among the priorities of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Higher Education Taskforce report.

“Victoria’s international education sector is valued at $5.74 billion, making it one of our most valuable sectors,” said Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Mark Stone.

“It is timely that higher education providers, business and policy makers continue to work together to ensure our education capabilities and global reputation are strong and growing.”

Victoria’s higher education sector, which includes universities and private providers, is diverse, competitive and internationally recognised as delivering high-quality graduates and leading-edge research. 

However, global competition in education services is intensifying and action is needed to make Victoria a more attractive destination for international students.  Several barriers need to be addressed to ensure we remain competitive.  These include student transport and healthcare costs, accommodation affordability and difficulties getting “real world” industry experience.

Recommendations to address these barriers and grow Victoria’s competitive position in the international education market are a key focus of the Victorian Chamber’s Higher Education Taskforce Report, Strengthening the competitiveness of Victoria’s higher education sector. They include:

• Extending the public transport concessions international students receive to include short-term tickets across all fare zones in Victoria, so they have the same discounts as domestic students. 
• Encouraging universities to develop dedicated, user-friendly systems to help international students and graduates find internships and longer-term employment.
• Improving student accommodation across the state, facilitating affordable close-to-campus and on-campus options for international students.
• Promoting the use of global health insurance policies issued through universities which provide coverage for services that would otherwise be an additional cost for international students.
• Removing the obligation of government agencies to only recruit graduates who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.
• Encouraging higher education providers to develop a module for international students which teaches them about diversity, appropriate communication methods and culture in the workplace.

“Adopting these measures will make Victoria more attractive for inbound students; enhance their learning experience, lower their living and study costs, and strengthen their pathways to skilled employment,” said Mr Stone.

Other priority areas highlighted in the report include:

• Driving innovation by broadening and deepening university-industry research links.
• Increasing productivity and employability by more closely aligning graduate skills with employer needs.
• Enhancing student access, learning and employability.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au

ENDS