Jj,_, AUS TALA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 1 DECEMBER 1978
The Prime Minister announced today. two initiatives which
are significant in the Government's determination to gain
for Australia the positive benefits of technological
innovation and the better understanding of labour market
questions. The Prime Minister said that he particularly welcomed the
initiatives which industry and the unions with Government
had taken through the NLCC through the establishment of a
Tripartite Committee to examine labour market questions
under the Chairmanship of Mr. B. Trethowan; Chairman of
the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. He noted
that the Committee's terms of reference would be to examine
the effects on employment, particularly of young people,
of the following factors:
the effect of particular aspects of labour
costs on employment such as penalty rates,
rates of pay for juniors and other labour costs
affecting the employment of young people;
the effect of working ratterns on employment
factors such as weekend work, part time work
and possible new arrangements such as
job sharing;
the importance and utilisation of qualifications,
especially trade skills, obtained through
migration; the labour relations asrects of technological
change; and
the effect on job opportunities of different
sectors of the labour force of changes in
participation rates of other sectors.
He emphasized that if there was to be better understanding and
action on these issues the Committee would need to consult
widely. For that reason arrangements would be made for
State Government representatives to be co-opted to the
Committee, and for experts from industry, unions and Government
to be drawn on as appropriate.
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The Prime Minister said that the second initiative related
to the Government's belief that it is essential for a
country such as Australia to take full advantage of the
benefits of new technology.
The Government had therefore decided to establish a
Committee of Inquiry to examine, report and make
recommendations on the process of technological change
in Australian industry in order to maximise economic,
social and other benefits and minimise any possible
adverse consequences.
In particular the Committee would:
identify: technol ' ogical change which is occurring or
is likely to occur in Australia; and
( ii) new technologies which have the potential
for substantial impact in Australia;
and to conduct detailed studies of those
areas identified as the most important
in order to evaluate the likely effects;
examine relevant overseas experience and studies
of technological change, and to assess mechanisms
used to introduce and evaluate new technologies;
review the effectiveness of Government policies
and programs in facilitating the introduction of
new technology.
The Prime Minister said that the Committee of Inquiry would
include union representation; that the Government would
make $ 750,000 available for the conduct of the Inquiry and
that a high quality Secretariat to the Inquiry would be
established in the Department of Productivity.
The Prime Minister said that these two initiatives
demonstrated the Government's concern for the difficult
issues involved in responding to technolgical change as
seen against the whole range of aspects affecting the
labour market. 000---