Yes Wayfarer Industrial Relations cannot be contructed on terms of financial capital alone. We work to live , not live to work. A good IR system has to be balanced upon different types of capital and who pays what. As it stands Howards 19th century IR laws are nothing more than a rip off. The cost will be most felt in the social destruction that occured last time such archaic laws were in place. Oliver Twist here we go again.

Actually not so West. The real problem with Australia is that
it started off with a British kind of attitude to labour.
The class system that you talk about.

Now look beyond that. Look at a country like Switzerland.
It has thrived, despite the high wages, far higher then
most other countries. Its thrived because of innovation,
a good training system and because of employers who
are smart enough to pay good people top money, as they
realise how important they are to a company.

I grant you that Australian management is not the best,
but I think its changing. Companies who try to screw
their staff will fail, whilst those who understand the
importance of innovation, consumers and employees, will
prosper. It stands to reason.