Report of the Industrial Relations Society of WA (IRSWA) to the ...

Report of the Industrial Relations Society of WA (IRSWA) to the Australian Labour and
Employment Relations Association National Council (ALERA)
April 2012
Membership
On 31 December 2011 IRSWA had 270 members. The membership year runs from 1 January to 31
December. The fees for membership are:
Ordinary member: $105
Full time student member: $45
Retired/unemployed member: $45
Life member:
free
While there had been a downward trend in membership the Committee is confident that this has
now been addressed. Membership levels improved significantly in 2011 and the rate of
membership renewals in 2012 indicates that the growth in membership in 2011 is likely to
continue.
Membership Levels
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2008 2009 2010 2011
IRSWA has seven different membership categories. It was the aim of the Society in 2011 to grow
the Society's membership in the two particular categories of membership that had shown the
greatest decline in recent years (employers and union representatives).
Membership numbers in both these categories increased in 2011 and have shown very significant
improvements in 2012. In 2012, the IRSWA Committee is focusing on building membership
amongst students. To encourage student involvement a motion was passed at the 2012 AGM to
amend the Constitution to include a student representative position on the Committee.
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Membership Categories 2011
100
80
60
40
20
0
Finances
In 2011 IRSWA hosted the National Conference. The total income generated from the Conference
was $185,579. The main sources of that income were sponsorship and registration fees. In the
chart below the category labeled sponsorship also included $5,000 seed funding from IRSNSW and
a $10,000 grant from ALERA.
National Conference Income
24%
1%
Registrations
Guest Meals
Sponsorship
Other
0%
75%
The total Conference expenditure was $121,729. The main category of expense was function
venue and catering
costs.
Conference Expenditure
5% 3%
7%
7%
Registration
Speakers
14%
Catering
7%
57%
Conference
Organisers
Repayment of
Grants
Other
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The National Conference returned a profit of nearly $64,000. In accordance with ALERA protocols
with respect to the distribution of those proceeds IRS WA will:
• Pay $10,000 to IRS NSW – representing a 100% profit on the seed funding of $5,000
originally provided by IRS NSW.
• Repay the $10,000 grant provided by ALERA.
• Split the balance of the $43,850 conference proceeds equally with ALERA
In total ALERA will receive $31,925.
Other than Convention income the main sources of income for IRSWA are membership
subscriptions, interest bearing deposits and paid functions. Paid advertising of workplace
relations jobs, conferences and seminars on our website is providing an additional source of
income in 2012.
IRSWA Income 2011
3%
17%
18%
Interest
Membership
Paid Functions
62%
Other
The main non Convention expenses in 2011 were our Paid Functions, Seminar Program and a
Honorarium paid for outsourced administrative functions. Following an upgrade to our
ecommerce website administrative functions are now performed entirely in house. Paid functions
are in the most case self funding.
IRSWA Expenditure 2011
1%
6% 8% 1%
8%
15%
13%
5%
13%
2%
22%
4%
2%
Audit fees
Bank charges
Depreciation
Honorarioum
ALERA
Insurance
Paid functions
Postage
Prize Sponsorhip
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Excluding conference proceeds IRSWA returned an operating profit of approximately $15,000.
Functions & Seminar Program
The IRSWA hosted a number of seminars and functions in 2011 including:
- A sell out Patron’s Dinner
- AGM Function
- Domestic Violence Seminar
- JJ Richards Seminar
- Roundtable Discussion – What’s Happening in our Workplaces
- Fair Work Employer Panel Session
- Annual Christmas Party
Below is the current events program for 2012:
Jan/Feb March March
Event AGM/Dinner Seminar
Date 16 th March 2012 27 th March 2012
Speaker - Professor Andrew Stewart
Topic - Prospects for reform – if change
is going to happen, where’s it
going to come?
IRS Member Jessica Holst Jessica Holst
Sponsorship No CCI/ALLA
April May June
Event Seminar Seminar Seminar
Date 17 April 2012 2 May 2012 22 nd May 2012
Speaker Professor Julia Connell Norton Rose Employer Panel/Union Panel
Topic Australia at Work: Can a more Sham Contracting
The Great IR Debate
level ‘playing field’ be created?
IRS Member Chris Howe Eleanor Jewell Jessica Holst
Sponsorship Curtin University Norton Rose CCIWA
July August September
Event Seminar State Conference Seminar
Date 3-5 August 2012
Speaker ACTU Associate Professor Bradon Ellem
Topic ACTU Enquiry – Casualisation
IRS Member Mark Shipman Tammie/Helen Trish Todd
Sponsorship CPSU/CSA Various UWA
October November December
Event Patron’s Dinner Women in IR Breakfast IRSWA Christmas Function
Date Last week in September
Speaker Professor Trevor Waring
Topic Dealing with Difficult People
IRS Member Jack Gregor Melanie Binet
Sponsorship tbc
National Conference
In early October 2011 the biannual National Conference was hosted by IRSWA in Fremantle in
Western Australia. The Conference venue was the Notre Dame University which is located in
various restored heritage buildings spread throughout the historic west end of Fremantle.
Conference functions were held at various iconic Fremantle locations including: Maritime
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Museum, Cicerello’s, Little Creatures and Moore & Moore. The Gala Dinner was held at Indiana’s
on Cottesloe Beach.
The theme of the Conference was "The Changing Tides of Workplace Relations - High Tide or Low
Tide". Topics discussed included:
• The Fair Work Act - The High Tide or Low Tide of Legislative Reform?
• The Fair Work Act - The High Tide or Low Tide of Legislative Reform? A Player's
Perspective.
• Low Tide - Workplace Relations in a Global Financial Crisis
• A Changing Tide for Indigenous Labour Force Participation?
• International Perspectives on Workplace Relations
• The West Australian Experience - High Tide or Low Tide on the West Coast
• Compliance and Case Law - Calm or Choppy Seas?
• Immigrant Labour - Threat or Opportunity?
In addition to the key note speakers the Conference also included a very practical component with
a variety of masterclass skills sessions on topics such as advocacy, negotiation, mediation, media
skills, Tribunal appearances and workplace investigations.
Speakers included:
• Chief Commissioner Anthony Beech - Chief Commissioner, Western Australian Industrial
Relations Commission
• Mr Courtney Chamberlain - Executive Chairman, Minera Resources, Lima Peru
• Professor Greg Craven - Vice Chancellor, Australian Catholic University
• Bradon Ellem - Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Business, Curtin School of Business
• The Honourable Senator Chris Evans - Minister for Workplace Relations
• Professor Ray Fells - Management and Organisations, University of Western Australia
• Justice Geoffrey Giudice AO - President, Fair Work Australia
• Mr Craig Gregory - Manager Fraud Investigations and Dispute Services, Ernst & Young
• Mr David Gregory - Director of Workplace Policy, Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• Ms Margaret Halsmith - Chair of LEADR, Member of NADRAC Halsmith Consulting
• Mr Saul Harben - Partner, Clayton Utz
• Associate Professor John Howe - Director Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law,
University of Melbourne
• Adjunct Professor Peter Kennedy- Communications and Media, Notre Dame University
• Mr Dennis Kickett - Coordinator Aboriginal Employment, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
• Mr Tim Lyons - Assistant Secretary, ACTU
• Federal Magistrate Toni Lucev- Federal Magistrates Court of Australia
• Mr Steve McCartney - State Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
• Mr Chris Meallin - Senior HR Manager - Policy, GM Holden Ltd
• Simon O’Brien MLC - Minister of Commerce, WA Government
• Mr Kevin Reynolds - State Secretary, CFMEU
• Adjunct Professor Rean du Toit - School of Law, Murdoch University
• Ms Nicole Roocke - Director, Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA
• Ms Louise Tarrant - National Secretary, United Voice
• Mr Nicholas Wilson - Fair Work Ombudsman
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Copies of the speakers’ powerpoints and audio of their presentations (where consent to release
has been given) are posted on the IRSWA website at www.industrialrelations.com.au under the
Papers and Presentations Tab.
The IRS Committee 2012
Following from the AGM, held on the 13 th March 2012, our new Committee is as follows:
President Melanie Binet melanie.binet@gregorandbinet.com
Vice President Tammie Kerr Tammie.Kerr@commerce.wa.gov.au
Vice President Helen Dooley Helen.Dooley@commerce.wa.gov.au
Secretary Jessica Holst Jessica.Holst@cciwa.com
irsocietywa@gmail.com
Treasurer David Johns johnsd@transfieldservices.com
Government Rep Nigel Holden nigel.holden@agric.wa.gov.au
Government Rep Paul Hunt paul.hunt@commerce.wa.gov.au
Academic Rep Christina Howe c.howe@curtin.edu.au
Academic Rep Trish Todd trish.todd@uwa.edu.au
Professional Rep Philippa Brown Philippa.brown@ashurst.com
Professional Rep Gary Mack macklegal@live.com.au
Union Rep Chris Panizza cpanizza@hsuwa.asn.au
Union Rep Mark Shipman Mark.Shipman@cpsucsa.org
Employer Rep Karen Findlay-Grove k.findlaygrove@gmail.com
Employer Rep Kyle Kutasi kkutasi@gmail.com
General Rep Jae McWilliams jmcwilliams@jacmac.com.au
General Rep Mark Sims Mark.sims@cpsucsa.org
Editor Daniel White daniel.white@dlapiper.com
Student Rep Joanna Vincent 20263234@student.uwa.edu.au
Immediate Past Saul Harben
SHarben@claytonutz.com
President
IRSWA Patron Jack Gregor
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