Dr John Buchanan

Position: Director
Phone: 02 9351 5627
Email: j.buchanan@econ.usyd.edu.au

Qualifications: BA (Hons), LLB, Grad Dip Econ (ANU), PhD (Syd)

Prior to his appointment at the WRC (acirrt), John was employed for seven years in the Australian Public Service. During this period he worked on issues as diverse as public sector job creation and local employment initiatives, the employment impact of cuts in barrier protection and labour dimensions of microeconomic reform. Between 1988 and 1991 he was part of the team that undertook the first Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (AWIRS). His last position on the APS was as Director, Policy Research, in the Commonwealth Department of Industrial Relations. John also worked briefly for the trade union movement as a researcher examining the issue of performance pay amongst white collar, public sector employees.

Since joining the WRC John has lead a large number of research teams that have examined a wide range of issues concerned with the changing nature of work.

He was one of the authors of WRC publication, Australia at work: just managing? (prentice hall, Sydney, 1999). This text consolidated all the key findings arising fromthe Centre’s first decade of research.

Currently his major research interests are the demise of the classical wage earner model of employment and the role of the state in nurturing new forms of multi-employer co-ordination to promote both efficiency and fairness in the labour market.

His recently completed PhD examined the impact of the metals restructuring model on the metal and engineering labour market between 1985 and 2000.

Publications:

• J. Buchanan, Mark Cole and Chris Briggs, 'Where are the non-members?' in Helen Forbes-Mewett and Gerard Griffin (eds) Unions 2002: Future Strategies for the Union Movement, National Key Centre in Industrial Relations Monograph No 15, pp 113 - 126 (publication only distributed in 2003)
• J. Buchanan and C. Briggs, 'Works Councils and Inequality at Work in Contemporary Australia' in Paul Gollan et al (eds) Works Councils: International and Australian Perspectives, Federation Press, Sydney, 2002
• J. Buchanan, Justine Evesson and Chris Briggs, Renewing the Capacity for Skill Formation: the Challenge for Victorian Manufacturing, Victorian Department of Education and Training, April 2002J.
• J. Buchanan and Louise Thornthwaite, Paid Work and Parenting: Charting a new course for Australian families, Chifley Foundation, Canberra, August, 2001
• J. Buchanan et al, Beyond Flexibility: skills and work in the future, Board of Vocational Education and Training (NSW), Sydney, 2001
• Ian Watson and John Buchanan, 'Beyond impoverished visions of the labour market' in R Fincher and P Saunders (eds) Rethinking Poverty, Inequality and Disadvantage in Australia, Allen and Unwin, 2001
• J. Buchanan and Barbara Pocock, 'Responding to inequality today: Eleven theses concerning the redesign of policies and agents for reform', Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 44 No 1, March 2002 pp 108 - 135
• J. Buchanan and Ian Watson, 'The Failure of the Third Way in Australia: Implications for Policies about Work', Competition and Change, Vol 5 No 1, Dec 2001 pp 1- 37
• J. Buchanan and Ian Watson, 'Beyond the wage earner model', Growth - Reshaping Australian Social Policy, (Journal of CEDA) No 48, November 2000 pp. 19 - 32.
• J. Buchanan and Cameron Allan, 'The Growth of Contractors in the Construction Industry: Implications for Tax Revenue', Economic and Labour Relations Review, Vol 11, No 1, June 2000 pp. 46-75
• J. Buchanan, Shannon O'Keeffe, Tanya Bretherton, Betty Arsovska, Gabrielle Meagher and Kathryn Heiler, 'Wages and Wage Determination in 1999', Journal of Industrial Relations, March 2000, Vol 42 No 1, March 2000 pp 109 - 145
• J. Buchanan, The Impact of Flexible Labour Market Arrangements in the Australian Metals and Engineering Industry, ILO Sectoral Activities Program Working Paper SAP 2.72/wp.126, International Labour Office, Geneva, 1998
• J. Buchanan (1999), 'Using multiple research methods', in D. Kelly (ed) Researching Industrial Relations, Federation Press, Sydney
• J Buchanan (1998), 'Wages Policy: Where to after the Accord?', in Globalisation: The Asian Crisis and the Future of Australian Jobs, Evatt Papers, Vol 5, No 1-4, November
• J. Buchanan and T. Bretherton (1999) "The experience of work", in John Spearings (ed) The Deepening Divide: Young Adults in Contemporary Australia, Dusseldorp Skills Forum, Sydney
• J. Buchanan, R. Callus & C. Briggs (1999) 'What impact has the Howard Government had on Wages and hours of Work?' Journal of Australian Political Economy, Vol 43, 1 June
• J Buchanan and K Heiler (1998), Work/Time/Life: Reclaiming the working time agenda, Centre for Union Research and Education, Melbourne
• J Buchanan, S. O'Keeffe and T. Bretherton, (1999) 'Wages Policy and Wage Determination in 1998', Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 41, No 1, March
• J. Buchanan, K. van Barneveld, T. Bretherton & S. O'Keeffe, Beyond the Fragments? The Experiences of a community based labour hire firm in achieving flexibility with fairness for low paid casual workers, Dusseldorp Skills Forum, Sydney, 1999
• J. Buchanan & I. Watson, (2000) 'Casuals and the Growing Threat to Retirement Incomes', Australian Stock Exchange 2nd Quarter, pp52 - 56
• J Buchanan, M Woodman, S O'Keeffe, and B Arsovska (1998), 'Wages Policy and Wage determination in 1997', Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 40, No 1, March, pp88 - 118.
• C. Briggs and J.Buchanan,(2000) 'Labour Market Deregulation: Background to the recent Australian Debate', Research Discussion Paper for the Australian Parliamentary Library
• R. Callus, J. Buchanan, I Watson (1998) "Work Skills and Organisations: A Challenge for Policy" in G. Withers & M. Mead (eds) Policy for Australias Industrial Future, CEDA Information Paper No 57, CEDA, Melbourne.
• *R. Hall, T. Bretherton, & J. Buchanan (2000). "It's Not My Problem": The Growth of Non-Standard Work and its Impact on VET in Australia. Kensington Park, NCVER.
• *R. Hall, J. Buchanan, T. Bretherton, K. van Barneveld & R. Pickersgill (2000) Globalisation and the Training Market in Australia, Vol 1&2, Kensington Park, NCVER
• Watson & J. Buchanan (2000) "Beyond Impoverished Visions of the Labour Market" in Ruth Fincher and Peter Saunders (eds) Creating Unequal Futures, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
• Contributor to, WRC(acirrt) (1999), Australia at Work: Just Managing?, Prentice Hall, Sydney