2016 a year of revolution
The Foreign Affairs Editor for The Australian, Greg Sheridan, has described 2016 as a year of revolution. From Brexit to Trump, the rise and (current) fall of ISIL, global terrorism, the game play of Putin, military muscle-exercising by China and the election of the drug-pusher killer President of the Philippines all indicate revolutionary shifts from the status quo. Sheridan says that 2016 will be seen by historians as a “fundamental year of change of direction on par with other great pivot points of global history”. More...
From the Desk of the Executive Director
Ken Phillips is co-founder and Executive Director of Independent Contractors of Australia. He is a published authority on independent contractor issues and directs research on related commercial and trade practices issues. Through his numerous articles in newspapers and think-tank and academic journals, Ken is known for approaching issues from outside normal perspectives and is frequently sought out for media comment.
Some revolutionary thoughts for the New Year
Gig economy and unfair contract laws suit self-employed
Two current events occurring some 17,000km apart reveal regulatory tension over the “gig” economy. One event tears at the new economy while the other is working with this economic change.
Last weekend, Australia’s unfair contract laws covering small business people began. Late last month, a precedent-setting judgment in London declared two of Uber’s 40,000 British drivers to be employees and thus entitled to minimum wages.
The Australian event is accommodating the gig economy within a regulatory framework. The London event assaults the structural heart of the gig economy. More...
A welcome disruption to the economy
The Unfair Contracts Act for small business people was proclaimed on November 12 this year and will go through a 12-month implementation period. The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission has immediately began reviewing commercial contracts for compliance.
The Act is a significant microeconomic reform, holding promise as a driver of innovation and jobs.
Economies are experiencing on going innovation upheaval. As a taste, banks are likely to halve their costs (and staff numbers) through technological innovation over the next decade. Automated cars will start eliminating taxi driver jobs in the near future. Kenya has revolutionised financial transactions through phone-to-phone transfer, eliminating banks. More...
Uber lessons in disruption
Taxi alternative Uber is throwing all the rules about hiring a car with driver out the (taxi) window.
In turning the taxi industry upside down, Uber is causing political storms across North America. The controversy in Australia has only just begun.
It’s just one example of our “disruption addiction”.
Once, keeping everything the same made people feel comfortable. Now we’ve become the disruption generation, accommodating disruption in deeply personal ways. More...
Recent Posts
- Changes give taxman licence to monster small business
- When the Taxman proves to be a monster
- Some revolutionary thoughts for the New Year
- At last a fair deal for hard-working subbies
- Gig economy and unfair contract laws suit self-employed
- Why the new unfair contract laws are good news for soloists
- Truckies’ Act a dog that may bark again
- Why is Wesfarmers so opposed to the ‘effects test’?
- Small business is losing confidence in the ATO
- Big firms aren’t budging on business behaviour
![]() Be Protected! |
Tags
- 457 visas (1)
- Abbott government (17)
- ACCC (4)
- advertising (2)
- ALP policy (15)
- Asian economies (3)
- ASIC (3)
- ATO (11)
- Australian politics (70)
- Australian Senate (4)
- Banking sector (1)
- big business (23)
- branding (1)
- Budget 2015 (1)
- business names (2)
- business-union ties (21)
- Canada (1)
- Canadian provinces (1)
- Car industry (5)
- CFMEU (9)
- China (2)
- Coalition policy (26)
- Collusion (17)
- communication (2)
- competition policy (6)
- computer/IT sector (6)
- construction (25)
- construction codes (6)
- contractor status (11)
- corporate welfare (6)
- corruption (4)
- defending our rights (41)
- disclosure requirements (2)
- dispute resolution (4)
- disruption (3)
- effects test (2)
- Election 2013 (10)
- Election 2019 (1)
- entrepreneurship (24)
- Europe (2)
- fair contracts (19)
- Fair Work Commission (1)
- finance (2)
- financial advisers (1)
- foreign workers (1)
- franchising (1)
- freelancing (9)
- Gig economy (3)
- Global economies (4)
- global news (11)
- govt-business ties (5)
- govt-union ties (8)
- Heydon Report (4)
- ICAC (1)
- illegal logging laws (2)
- independence (11)
- industrial relations (45)
- infrastructure (4)
- innovation (14)
- Inspector-General Taxation (1)
- Japan (1)
- job creation (13)
- Job security (12)
- Kenya (1)
- liberty (1)
- management capacity (5)
- misclassification laws (1)
- Morrison Government (1)
- MUA (2)
- National Broadband Network (3)
- national debt (1)
- New South Wales (1)
- OHS harmonisation (6)
- owner-drivers (5)
- penalty rates (2)
- productivity (10)
- Productivity Commission (1)
- profiles (4)
- red tape (5)
- research (5)
- Resources (1)
- responsibility (4)
- self-employment (34)
- shopping centres (2)
- Shorten Opposition (1)
- small business (54)
- small business commisioners (2)
- small business tax tribunal (1)
- stupid legislation (3)
- superannuation (3)
- taxation (9)
- technology (8)
- tradesmen (1)
- transparency (7)
- truckies (3)
- Turnbull Government (13)
- TWU (6)
- Uber (4)
- unemployment (1)
- union power (46)
- union violence (4)
- United Kingdom (2)
- United States (1)
- US politics (1)
- Victoria (9)
- Victorian election (2)
- Western Australia (1)
- white australia (1)
- work flexibility (8)
- work safety (7)
- work-life balance (7)
- workplace interaction (1)
Small Cost, Big Benefits