Competing fairly

How collective bargaining can benefit farmers and small businesses

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Deputy Chair Michael Schaper has today launched a new guide for small businesses and farmers on the potential benefits of collective bargaining.

A collective bargaining arrangement allows two or more competing businesses to jointly negotiate with a supplier or a customer over terms, conditions, and prices. Where the ACCC is satisfied that the arrangement provides an overall public benefit, it can allow conduct which may otherwise be prohibited by the Competition and Consumer Act.

ACCC Chairman says better media and intellectual property regulations can boost innovation

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims today provided insights on media laws, intellectual property and recent ACCC competition activities at the RBB Economics Conference in Sydney.

Mr Sims focussed on the current innovation debate.

“As someone with a long interest in this debate, I hope most focus will be on the “three Rs” of innovation: appropriate tax, industrial relations and competition policies,” Mr Sims said.

ACCC believes price monitoring for monopoly infrastructure will damage Australia’s economy

Price monitoring for monopoly infrastructure is ill-conceived in theory and not working in practice, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims said today.

At the Gilbert + Tobin infrastructure workshop in Melbourne, Mr Sims called for a return to the approach to regulation of monopoly infrastructure envisaged by the Hilmer Committee.

“Hilmer recognised that the regulation of monopoly infrastructure would require, at a minimum, the implementation of a negotiate/arbitrate framework.”

How did the light handed regulation of monopolies become no regulation?

Speaking at the Gilbert + Tobin infrastructure workshop in Melbourne, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims calls for a return to the approach to regulation of monopoly infrastructure envisaged by the Hilmer Committee. Mr Sims also argues that it is wrong to suggest that we should not be concerned about high monopoly pricing of infrastructure because the result is only a pure transfer of economic rent. Mr Sims also refers to the ACCC’s work with Australian governments to highlight the importance of privatising assets to promote competition, rather than just the sale price.

 

ACCC enforcement guidance - free range hen egg claims

The ACCC has produced this guide to help hen egg producers of all sizes understand their fair trading rights and obligations when promoting or selling free range eggs. The guide will also inform consumers and the public more generally about the ACCC’s approach to free range egg claims, which may assist the public to have confidence buying free range.

Competition key to restoring Australia’s productivity

Addressing the Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Conference in Sydney, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims discusses how the proposed Harper competition reforms can boost national prosperity and help turn the tables on many years of poor infrastructure policies and practices. He presses the need for road reform outlining a way ahead that is "entirely doable and saleable" with two steps. Mr Sims also warns against privatising infrastructure assets with the wrong objective in mind and discusses the regulation of monopoly infrastructure.