The ACTU claims a surge in collective bargaining empowered by the Albanese government’s overhaul of industrial relations laws is behind the first growth in union membership after more than a decade of decline.
More than 1.6 million workers were members of a union in their main job as of August 2024, according to bi-annual Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Monday, an increase of almost 200,000 in the past two years.
Michael Read is the Financial Review's economics correspondent, reporting from the federal press gallery at Parliament House. He was previously an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia and at UBS. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.read@afr.com
