Global workplace changes will continue to influence life in the regions and job trends of Australians, according to speakers due at the 12th annual International Employment Relations Association conference next week (July 5-8).

Abstracts available at the conference website (via http://www.iera.cqu.edu.au/programme.htm ) explore a range of issues relevant to Australia, in particular its regional areas.

About 60 participants from overseas and interstate are expected for the conference at Rydges Capricorn Resort near Yeppoon.

Bruce Acutt, Paul Hyland and Karen Windeknecht (CQU) say that rural and regional Australia has been exposed to the full forces of globalisation and the impact on employment has been significant.

John Burgess and Jenny Whittard (Uni of Newcastle) explore the conflict between employees and management over the organisation of part-time work.

Linda Colley (Griffith Uni) shows how non-permanent forms of employment have implications for the ability of a public service to provide high quality and impartial advice and serve a government of any political persuasion.

Andrea Insch (from Griffith Uni) examines the impacts of global sourcing strategies and discusses how high levels of foreign ownership in the meat processing segment of the beef industry reflect Queensland’s role as a source of low-cost inputs for food manufacturing and distribution by powerful agri-food multinational corporations.

Jessica Kennedy and Paul Hyland (CQU) discuss problems facing employers in regional Australia, including the costly business of training new managers and trades people.

Angela Knox (Uni of Western Sydney) discusses segmentation in the hotel industry, including the impact of award ‘stripping’.

Priscilla Leece (from the Uni of Western Sydney) discusses shortages of skilled health care workers in developed nations and the globalised recruitment of healthcare workers.

Susan McGrath-Champ (Uni of Sydney) discusses the growing wage disparities throughout Australia.

Jim Mitchell (Uni of Western Sydney) discusses the attitudes of male pilots towards female pilots in relation to a masculine bias in employment relations.

Damian Oliver (Griffith Uni) looks at university students’ part-time work in relation to their professional aspirations.

Keith Townsend, David Peetz and Allan Cameron (Griffith Uni) will discuss the shortage of skilled nurses as the profession reaches a crisis point.