Morrison takes a tilt at history

According to one-time arbitration commissioner Terry Ludeke, there are no winners or losers in Australian industrial relations, ‘‘only survivors’’. His comment will resonate in government, business and union circles as they engage in post COVID-19 efforts to make our workplace relations system ‘‘fit for purpose’’, in the words of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

It’s a pretty daunting ‘‘purpose’’.

As Morrison frames the issue, it’s an attempt ‘‘to find practical solutions to keeping Australians in jobs’’ after the economic catastrophe of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 345,000 people and infected more than 5.5 million around the world.

Locally the pestilence has forced the shutdown of the tourism and entertainment industries, closed schools, cafes, restaurants, pubs, concerts, theatres, cinemas, sporting events, shows, community meetings and religious services, and made CBDs resemble ghost towns.

The idea is to remove the fiscal ventilator of $150 billion-plus of government support come September, or thereabouts, and replace it with a more muscular, productive and adaptive economy underpinned by a more amenable, co-operative and efficient – but not, hopefully, exploitative – work environment.

‘‘Fit for purpose’’, it will increase jobs through higher productivity and economic growth.

Looked at from the vantage of limited knowledge of Australian industrial history, Morrison’s new approach is just an exercise in enlightened common sense. As some commentators have already, somewhat patronisingly, put it, it’s no more than a decision to hold a meeting.

However, this understates its historic significance.

At first blush, the Morrison initiative does indeed rest on the unexceptional notion that it’s better for workers and employers to get on together, and the benefits of equitable, mutually agreed arrangements will come in the form of improved productivity, more jobs and higher income.