CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL-RELATIONS - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The recent accession to power of a conservative (Liberal/National Coal ition;) government in Australia would seem to mark a major change - pe rhaps a transformation - in Australian industrial relations. However, a move subtle reading of events suggests that key ingredients of the n ew government's reform package were actually foreshadowed even partial ly implemented, by the former Australian Labor Party government. The l atter was well known for ifs enthusiastic implementation of orthodox e conomic policies, albeit in a context of 'corporatism'. This suggests a degree of continuity between the policies of the ALP and Liberal/Nat ional Coalition governments. At the same time, there are ingredients o f significant change some of them on the face of it minor, but which, over time, are likely to erode the power of unions and sharpen the div ide between the union and non-union sectors.