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David Peetz

Professor of Employment Relations, Griffith University

David Peetz is Professor of Employment Relations at Griffith University, where he has worked for over a decade. He previously worked at the Australian National University and in the then Commonwealth Department of Industrial Relations, spending over five years in its Senior Executive Service. He has been a consultant for the International Labour Organisation in Thailand, Malaysia and China, and undertaken work for unions, employers and governments of both political persuasions. He is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

Yes, government influences wages – but not just in the way you might think

Apr 12, 2025 09:55 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Can the government actually make a difference to the wages Australians earn? A lot of attention always falls on the governments submission to the Fair Work Commissions annual wage review, which this year called for a real...

Chance for genuine industrial relations reform thrown under the omnibus

Dec 17, 2020 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

When Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the formation of five working groups of employers, unions and government officials in June 2020, he signalled an unexpected twist to industrial relations reform. Some...

What if we measured the thing that matters most: "carbon productivity"

Oct 26, 2019 08:14 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Economy

Ask any economist a question, and you will usually get the answer: productivity. The winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, Paul Krugman, set the standard in 1994: Productivity isnt everything, but, in the...

There's an obvious reason wages aren't growing, but you won't hear it from Treasury or the Reserve Bank

Sep 10, 2019 20:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Central Banks

Wages growth for Australian workers is among the worst in the industrialised world. For more than a third of workers on individual contracts, wages arent growing at all. This is odd, given Australia is in a record 28th...

What the stoush between the federal government and the CFMMEU is really about (spoiler: there's an election coming)

Sep 24, 2018 06:30 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Since Malcolm Turnbull was ousted as prime minister, we have seen a renewed focus by the federal government on targeting union officials. The latest, and also most enduring, target is the Construction, Forestry,...

Finance drives everything — including your insecurity at work

Aug 14, 2018 04:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Theres a common link between the many things that have promoted insecurity at work: the growth of franchising; labour hire; contracting out; spin-off firms; outsourcing; global supply chains; the gig economy; and so on....

The government is belatedly backing the penalty rates cut it always wanted

Mar 27, 2017 09:11 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Its impossible for the government to substantially ease the hardship for workers from the Fair Work Commissions decision to cut some penalty rates as the governments submission into its implementation illustrates. Nor can...

Economy

U.S. Inflation Cools in January as Gas Prices Fall, Core CPI Signals Sticky Price Pressures

U.S. consumer prices rose less than expected in January, offering modest relief to households as gasoline and rental costs eased. However, persistent increases in service-related expenses suggest the Federal Reserve may...

U.S. Stocks End Mixed as January CPI Cools, Treasury Yields Slide

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday after a volatile trading session, as investors reacted to softer-than-expected January CPI data and falling Treasury yields. The SP 500 finished flat at 6,835.08, while the Dow Jones...

Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Stabilizes Ahead of U.S. CPI Data

Asian currencies edged lower on Friday as the U.S. dollar steadied, with traders closely monitoring upcoming U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data for signals on the Federal Reserves interest rate outlook. Despite the daily...

Oil Prices Steady but Head for Weekly Loss as Supply Glut Concerns Weigh

Oil prices were mostly steady during Asian trading on Friday, yet both benchmark crude contracts remained on track for weekly losses after a sharp selloff in the previous session. Brent crude futures for April delivery...

Fed Governor Stephen Miran Warns Tight Monetary Policy Threatens U.S. Economic Growth

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran cautioned that the central banks current monetary policy stance could pose a significant risk to U.S. economic growth. Speaking at a Dallas Fed event on Thursday, Miran argued that...

Politics

Anduril Eyes $60 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round to Expand Defense Manufacturing and Autonomous Fighter Jet Development

U.S. defense technology firm Anduril Industries is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in fresh funding at a valuation of at least $60 billion, according to a recent report by The Information citing...

Trump Maritime Action Plan Targets U.S. Shipbuilding Revival and Port Fee Funding

The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping Maritime Action Plan aimed at rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding and strengthening the nations broader maritime industry. The more than 30-page strategy outlines a long-term...

Peru Congress Schedules Debate on Motion to Remove President Jose Jeri Amid Scandal

Perus Congress has scheduled a key debate for Tuesday on a motion to remove President Jose Jeri, intensifying political uncertainty in the country. Congressional leader Fernando Rospigliosi announced the decision on social...

Starmer Calls for Stronger European Defence Cooperation to Reinforce NATO and Reduce U.S. Reliance

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to call for closer European defence cooperation to reduce NATOs reliance on the United States, emphasizing greater integration across Europes defence industry. Speaking at the...

U.S.-Iran and Russia-Ukraine Talks Set for High-Stakes Geneva Meeting

Two critical rounds of diplomatic negotiations focusing on Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war are scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the matter. The high-level meetings signal...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Grok AI Market Share Surges as xAI Faces Scrutiny Over Image Generation Controversy

Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok is rapidly gaining traction in the U.S., even as it faces mounting global criticism over the generation of non-consensual and sexualized AI images. According to data from app intelligence firm...

Lockheed Martin Secures $101M in U.S. Defense Contracts for AEGIS, F-35, and Missile Systems

Lockheed Martin has been awarded three U.S. Department of Defense contracts worth approximately $101 million, reinforcing its role as a leading defense contractor in advanced military systems, fighter jet support, and...

GE Aerospace Expands Singapore Engine Repair Hub with Automation and AI to Tackle Aviation Bottlenecks

GE Aerospace is accelerating automation and AI-driven innovation at its Singapore engine repair hub as global airlines grapple with maintenance delays, parts shortages, and extended turnaround times. At the center of this...

U.S. Commerce Department Reaches $252 Million Settlement With Applied Materials Over China Exports

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a $252 million settlement with Applied Materials, resolving allegations that the semiconductor equipment maker illegally exported U.S. chip manufacturing technology to China....

Russia Moves to Fully Block WhatsApp as Kremlin Pushes State-Backed MAX App

Russia has reportedly attempted to fully block WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, as part of its broader efforts to tighten control over the countrys digital space. According to a company...