Awards are uniquely Australian, and practically as old as the country itself. They have dominated our industrial relations system since Federation and still play a pivotal role in our current framework. But in Australia’s modern, competitive economy, the award system is an anachronism. Along with new statutory conditions, the award system simply adds another layer of regulation, increasing costs on business, reducing flexibility and hindering productivity. In this Meet the Researcher lecture, CIS Policy Analyst Alexander Philipatos will look at how to inject much needed flexibility into Australia’s labour markets by doing away with the last vestiges of the century old arbitration system.