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Labour and megaprojects: Rethinking productivity and industrial relations policy

Author

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  • Bradon Ellem

    (The University of Sydney Business School, Australia)

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has brought industrial relations policy to the centre of attention in many countries. In 2020, the Australian government convened tripartite bodies to address policy in several areas, one being for agreement-making to cover labour on ‘megaprojects’. This initiative revisited criticisms of unions for driving costs up and productivity down on these worksites, the most expensive of which had been Chevron’s Gorgon site, a liquefied natural gas project off the north-west Australian coast. Drawing on four usually siloed literatures – on industrial relations policy, megaprojects, the economic geography of resources and labour process – this article explains concerns about costs, delays and productivity in terms of project work itself. This approach leads to a different understanding of the merits of changing policy to address megaproject’s problems and productivity more broadly. JEL Codes: J52, J58, L71

Suggested Citation

  • Bradon Ellem, 2021. "Labour and megaprojects: Rethinking productivity and industrial relations policy," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 32(3), pages 399-416, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:32:y:2021:i:3:p:399-416
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304620984294
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agreement-making; economic geography; industrial relations policy; labour; labour process; liquefied natural gas; megaprojects; productivity; unions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation
    • J58 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Public Policy
    • L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels

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