Australian Left Review

Article Title

Howard's Way

Authors

Mark Davis

Abstract

It's little wonder the only thing John Howard wanted to say about the dispute at Associated Pulp and Paper Mills (APPM) was that politicians should keep out of it. The dispute's result is a headache for the Coalition, which has been arguing that its plans to radically deregulate the labour market will usher in a brave new world of harmonious and productive workplace relations. For what was really at stake in the APPM dispute was not a union wage claim or the employer's keenness to overhaul work practices, but the more fundamental issue of union representation.