Nicholas Blain

Alexander Nicholas John Blain (known as Nicholas or Nick) is an economist, specialising in industrial relations. He served as: a Presidential Member of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission; Chief Adviser to Western Australia's Labour Relations Minister, The Hon. Graham Kierath MLA, in Premier Richard Court's Liberal-National Government; and Head of Department of Industrial Relations at The University of Western Australia.

The Honourable

Nicholas Blain

PhD (Lond), MEc (W.Aust.), FAHRI
Spouse(s)Danielle
Children1 daughter and 1 son

Qualifications

Blain's qualifications include honours and master's degrees in Economics from The University of Western Australia (1961–66). In 1965, whilst undertaking his Master's studies, he was appointed Leader of an Australian Delegation of 40 Graduate Students, which conducted a three-month economic and cultural study tour of Japan.

Blain was awarded a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1970. During his PhD studies, he became an Industrial Relations Adviser to the United Kingdom National Board for Prices and Incomes.

Blain's PhD Thesis became the influential book Pilots and Management: Industrial Relations in the UK Airlines (1972).[1] At the time, he was described by The Times of London as “probably the world's leading independent expert on why these highly paid, highly disciplined...men...have in recent years become so militant.”[2] In the Book's Preface, he acknowledges his Great-Uncle, Group Captain Grahame Christie, CMG, DSO, MC, a pioneer of British aviation, who gave him valuable insights into its development.[3][4]

Career

During a career spanning more than 50 years, Blain held senior business, academic, government and judicial positions.

Business

Between 1971 and 1976, Blain was: Group Marketing Manager of Calsil Ltd (now Schaffer Corporation); an Executive at Merchant Banking firms Partnership Pacific Limited and Commercial Continental Ltd;[5][6][7] and Senior Economist at CSR Ltd.[8]

Academic

Blain was a senior academic in Industrial Relations at The University of Western Australia, where he served from 1976 to 1992. He was actively involved in the introduction and teaching of the first Master of Industrial Relations degree at an Australian University.[9] Blain rose to become Master of Industrial Relations Course Controller, Chairman of the Community Committee in Industrial Relations and Head of Department.[10]

Blain is the author of Industrial Relations in the Air: Australian Airline Pilots (1983).[11] This book was extensively quoted during the historic Australian domestic pilots’ dispute in 1989, in which he acted as a Mediator and Media Commentator.[12]

Blain has authored some 50 published articles on Industrial Relations and Business in international, national and other journals.[13][14][15][16] He was a Research Consultant to both the Hancock Committee of Review into Australian Industrial Relations Law and Systems[17] and to the Holcroft Independent Public Inquiry into Domestic Air Fares (Australia).[18]

Blain was the Australian Representative on a United States Information Service Delegation of Labour Relations Experts from 25 countries, which conducted a month-long study tour of the US in 1983.[19]

In his academic years, he was a frequent National and State Commentator for Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio and TV on Industrial Relations and Business.

He was President of the Industrial Relations Society of Western Australia, President of the Academic Staff Association[20] and Senate Representative at The University of Western Australia, and a Counsellor to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.

Government

Between 1993 and 2001, Blain was Chief Adviser to senior Western Australian Government Minister, The Hon. Graham Kierath MLA, in the portfolios of: Labour Relations; Works; Services; Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; Health; Housing; Lands; Planning; Heritage; Employment and Training; and Minister assisting the Treasurer.[21]

At the time, Kierath and Blain formed the longest-serving Industrial Relations Ministerial partnership in Australia. During their association, Blain was Instructing Officer[22] for historic reform legislation introducing: voluntary workplace agreements (individual and collective);[23] a minimum wage and minimum conditions of employment set by Parliament for all employees;[24] and compulsory secret ballots before strikes.[25][26]

Workplace agreements

In 1993, Kierath introduced the Workplace Agreements Act 1993, the most significant and fundamental reform of the Western Australian industrial relations system since the enactment of the original Conciliation and Arbitration Act in 1900.[27] In a personal tribute to Blain, Kierath acknowledged his contribution to the direction of reform as “invaluable”.[28]

In 1996, this reform was followed nationally by the Howard Liberal-National Government, which introduced Australian Workplace Agreements[29] under the Workplace Relations Act 1996. The Hon. Peter Reith, who had responsibility for developing this federal legislation, acknowledged Blain's continuing help in his book, The Reith Papers.[30]

Meanwhile, Western Australian workplace agreements continued to prove attractive to employers and employees. Between 1 December 1993 and 31 January 1999, 161,601 agreements were registered.[31] In the 2000-2001 financial year alone, 82,331 applications for registration were made.[32]

By 2002, Western Australian workplace agreements had become the most important form of work regulation in the State's dominant resources sector, with approximately 85% coverage of all employees.[33] At that time, Western Australia provided nearly half (47%) of Australia's total mining exports.[34]

Minimum conditions of employment

The Western Australian Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 introduced, for the first time in Australia, comprehensive statutory minimum conditions for public holidays, annual leave, bereavement leave and parental leave for all employees in the State.[35] In 2002, the Act was amended by the Western Australian Labor Government to expand the range of such matters.[36]

In 2009, the Western Australian legislation was followed by the more comprehensive National Employment Standards in the Rudd Federal Labor Government's Fair Work Act.[37]

Secret ballots before strikes

The Western Australian Liberal-National Government's compulsory secret ballots before strikes provisions commenced operation in 1997. They were followed by secret ballot proposals by the Howard Federal Government in 2000[38] and 2002,[39] which finally took legislative effect in 2005.[40]

Judicial

Blain was a Deputy President of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2001–08),[41] with the rank and status of a Federal Court Judge.[42] During this time, he conciliated, arbitrated or otherwise resolved some 1,600 industrial matters, none of which has been overturned on Appeal.[43]

In 2005, in recognition of his professional and human resources leadership experience, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Private practice

Since 2008, Blain has been in private practice, advising employers, employees and organisations on workplace relations.[44]

Family

Blain was born in Perth, Western Australia, where he resides with his wife, Danielle. They have one daughter, one son and 6 grandchildren.

References
  1. Hildred, Sir William (August 1972). "Library. Reviews. Pilots and Management Industrial Relations in the UK Airlines A. N. J. Blain". The Aeronautical Journal. Cambridge University Press. 76 (740): 512. doi:10.1017/S0001924000043645 (inactive 2021-01-10). Retrieved 7 June 2020.CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2021 (link)
  2. "Turbulence". The Times. London. 17 May 1972. p. 21.
  3. Blain, A.N.J. (1972). Pilots and Management: Industrial Relations in the U.K. Airlines. Allen and Unwin. ISBN 9780043310489. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. Christie, Malcolm. "The Papers of Group Captain Malcolm Christie". janus.lib.cam.ac.uk. Janus. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. Blain, Nicholas (11 December 1974). "Merchant Banks face a squeeze under new Act". The Australian Financial Review.
  6. Blain, Nicholas (11 December 1974). "Merchant Banks face a liquidity trap". The Australian Financial Review.
  7. Blain, Nicholas (11 December 1974). "Merchant Banking: No longer free to follow the market place". The Australian Financial Review.
  8. "Biography". nicholasblain.com.
  9. Blain, Nicholas (1989). "Chapter 14: The Underlying Philosophy of the Industrial Relations Theory Course at the University of WA". Theories and Concepts in Comparative Industrial Relations (1st ed.). University of South Carolina Press. pp. 212–225. ISBN 0-87249-580-9.
  10. "Convocation. 50TH Reunion of the Graduates of 1965" (PDF). The University of Western Australia. October 2015. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  11. Blain, Nicholas (1984). Industrial Relations in the Air : Australian Airline Pilots. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0702219835.
  12. "Strong case for Hawke to act as a mediator in settling pilots dispute". Trove: The Canberra Times. 20 September 1989. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  13. Blain, A. N. J.; Gennard, John (November 1970). "Industrial Relations Theory - A Critical Review". British Journal of Industrial Relations. 8 (3): 389–407. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8543.1970.tb00584.x.
  14. Karsh, Bernard; Blain, Nicholas; Nihei, Yasumitsu (September 1984). "Airline Pilot Unions in Australia, Japan and the United States : A Test of Cross-National Convergence". Journal of Industrial Relations. 26 (3): 385–404. doi:10.1177/002218568402600306. S2CID 153943993.
  15. Blain, Nicholas; Goodman, John; Loewenberg, Joseph (March–April 1987). "Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration: An International Comparison of Australia, Great Britain and the United States". International Labour Review. 126 (2): 179–198. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  16. Blain, Nicholas (June 1993). "Enterprise Bargaining: An Overview". The Economic and Labour Relations Review. 4 (1): 77–97. doi:10.1177/103530469300400105. S2CID 154937018.
  17. "Submission to Hancock Committee / by Dr. Nicholas Blain". Trove. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  18. "Domestic Air Fares: Report of the Independent Public Inquiry". Trove. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  19. McGeough, Paul (18 May 1983). "Wage rises traded for job security". The West Australian.
  20. Duckham, Ian (2013). Power & Persuasion: A History of The University of Western Australia Academic Staff Association and its predecessors 1913-2013. pp. 64–66, 71.
  21. "Hon. Graham Donald Kierath MLA". parliament.wa.gov.au Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  22. Graham Kierath, Minister for Labour Relations (22 May 1996). "Estimates Committee B" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Western Australia: Legislative Assembly. pp. 250–251.
  23. "Workplace Agreements Act 1993" (PDF). Western Australia.
  24. "Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993" (PDF). Western Australia.
  25. "Labour Relations Legislation Amendment Act 1997" (PDF). Western Australia.
  26. "Labour Relations Amendment Act 1997 (No. 3 of 1997). Proclamation" (PDF).
  27. Graham Kierath, Minister for Labour Relations (8 July 1993). "Workplace Agreements Bill. Second Reading" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Western Australia: Legislative Assembly. pp. 1450–1451.
  28. Graham Kierath, Minister for Labour Relations (8 July 1993). "Workplace Agreements Bill. Second Reading" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Western Australia: Legislative Assembly. pp. 1455–1456.
  29. "Sir Richard Kirby Archives. Howard Government". fwc.gov.au. Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  30. Reith, Peter (2 November 2015). The Reith Papers. ISBN 9780522862683.
  31. "Legislative Assembly. Questions on Notice. Thursday 18 March 1999" (PDF).
  32. "Commissioner of Workplace Agreements. Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 June 2001" (PDF). p. 6.
  33. "Workplace Flexibility and Individual Agreements: A Multibillion Dollar Question" (PDF). AMMA. p. 5 Appendix A. Australian Workplace Agreements - A Major Matter for Miners
  34. "Australia's Exporters, 2002-03" (PDF). Table F7
  35. Graham Kierath, Minister for Labour Relations (8 July 1993). "Workplace Agreements Bill. Second Reading" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Western Australia: Legislative Assembly. pp. 1456–1459.
  36. "Labour Relations Reform Act 2002" (PDF). Western Australia.
  37. "National Employment Standards". fwc.gov.au. Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  38. "Bills Digest No. 116 2001-02. Workplace Relations Amendment (Secret Ballots for Protected Action) Bill 2002" (PDF): 2. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  39. "Workplace Relations Amendment (Secret Ballots for Protected Action) Bill 2002 [No. 2]". aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  40. "Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005, Secret Ballots on Proposed Protected Action". Commonwealth of Australia.
  41. "Sir Richard Kirby Archives. Past Members 1956 to Present". fwc.gov.au. Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  42. "Workplace Relations Act 1996, Act No. 86 of 1988 as amended, Vol 1, Part II, Division 1, 9(2)". p. 24.
  43. "Against decision of Blain DP". fwc.gov.au. Fair Work Commission. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  44. https://www.nicholasblain.com/
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