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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

Oil Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict and Strait of Hormuz Disruption

Oil prices climbed on Friday as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continued to unsettle global energy markets. Efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict involving Iran remain stalled, with Tehran maintaining its...

Asian Stock Markets Rise Amid Wall Street Rally and U.S.-Iran Tensions

Asian stock markets edged higher on Friday in thin holiday trading, following record-breaking gains on Wall Street, while investors remained cautious about escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Trading...

Gold Prices Hold Steady as Iran War and Interest Rate Outlook Weigh on Markets

Gold prices stabilized during Asian trading on Friday, showing slight gains after two consecutive months of losses. Investors remain cautious as uncertainty surrounding the Iran war and its impact on global inflation and...

Yen Weakens After Intervention Spike as Dollar Stabilizes Amid Global Tensions

The Japanese yen slipped on Friday after a sharp surge in the previous session, which was widely attributed to suspected currency market intervention by Tokyo. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar stabilized following notable losses...

Tokyo Inflation Slows Despite Energy Pressures and BOJ Policy Outlook

Tokyos latest inflation data showed mixed signals in April, highlighting the complex balance between rising global energy costs and domestic government intervention. Japan inflation trends remain a key focus for investors,...

Politics

U.S. Flags Vietnam as “Priority Foreign Country” Over Intellectual Property Concerns

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has officially designated Vietnam as a Priority Foreign Country in its latest annual intellectual property (IP) report, signaling heightened concern over the...

Japan Eases Arms Export Rules, Opening Door for Potential Ukraine Defense Support

Japans recent relaxation of its weapons export rules could pave the way for future discussions on supplying military equipment to Ukraine, according to Kyivs ambassador to Tokyo. The policy shift, led by Prime Minister...

FEMA Reinstates Employees After Dissent Letter, Signaling Shift in Workforce Stability

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reinstated more than a dozen employees who were placed on administrative leave in August 2025 after signing a public letter criticizing agency leadership and...

Iran Threatens Prolonged Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Drives Global Oil Surge

Iran has warned it will launch long and painful strikes against U.S. positions if Washington escalates military action, intensifying tensions in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Tehran. The situation has...

Lula Plans New Supreme Court Nomination After Historic Senate Rejection

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is preparing to submit a new nominee for the Supreme Federal Court after the Senate rejected his initial choice, marking a historic political setback. According to...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

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...

Technology

Apple Q2 2026 Earnings Surge as iPhone 17 Sales Drive Record Revenue

Apple delivered a strong fiscal Q2 2026 performance, reporting record-breaking revenue and profit growth fueled by robust iPhone sales and expanding services. The tech giant posted earnings of $2.01 per share on $111.18...

FBI Warns of China’s Expanding Hack-for-Hire Network Amid Extradition Case

The Chinese governments alleged hack-for-hire ecosystem is rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly difficult to control, according to a senior FBI official. Speaking on Thursday, FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman...

Taiwan Activates Backup Communications After Undersea Cable Break on Dongyin Island

Taiwan has activated emergency backup communications for Dongyin, its northernmost and strategically important island, after an undersea cable was damaged due to shifting shipwreck debris caused by severe weather. The...

Meta Raises 2026 Capex Outlook Amid AI Spending Surge, Shares Drop After Earnings

Meta Platforms has increased its full-year capital expenditure guidance for 2026, signaling continued aggressive investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure despite rising costs and market concerns. The company...

Amazon Stock Dips Despite Record Earnings as AI Infrastructure Spending Surges

Amazon (AMZN) shares slipped 2.6% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, even after the company delivered record-breaking quarterly earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations. The decline reflects investor concerns over...