The Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association (ALERA) is the national society for the industrial relations (IR) profession. It was formerly called the IR Society of Australia which was formed in the 1950s. It is an independent, non-partisan, registered charity. It is the oldest and largest national organisation in this field in Australia.
ALERA is a federal organisation that includes constituent bodies from around Australia. Its constituent bodies include members involved in IR, workplace- labour- and employment relations, human resources, labour law, workplace dispute settlement and conflict resolution, and related fields. The constituent bodies welcome members involved in, studying or otherwise interested in, the above-mentioned fields. Members may be representatives of employers, governments, the legal profession, managers, trade unions or tribunals and as well as academics consultants and students.
To join or for more information, please contact the ALERA constituent body in your State or Territory (links are included in this website).
Participation in constituent bodies enables exchange of opinions, an understanding of others’ points of view, and new friendships. This helps to create goodwill and understanding in IR and related fields. ALERA’s objects include fostering discussion, research, education, publication and liaising with governments as well as other organisations and agencies.
ALERA has published the Journal of Industrial Relations since 1959. It also fosters professional development, including by holding webinars and conferences. ALERA endorses and helps to promote relevant events that are hosted by its constituent bodies as well as, for instance, by universities and other organisations that ALERA has links with. Such events include some of those that are in honour of two leaders who were among ALERA’s founding members: the late Kingsley Laffer and the late Joe Isaac.
The Annual Kingsley Laffer Lecture hosted in Sydney by the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies (WOS), University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney. This is in honour of the late Kingsley Laffer who, at the time of his retirement, was Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Industrial Relations, University of Sydney. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Industrial Relations.
The Annual Joe Isaac Industrial Relations Symposium, in honour of the late the Hon. Emeritus Professor Joe Isaac AO, FASSA, co- hosted in Melbourne by the International Consortium for Research on Employment & Work (iCREW), Centre for Global Business, Monash Business School, Monash University, and the Melbourne Human Resource Management Unit (MHRMU), Department of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne. He served as a professor at both universities.
ALERA seeks to organise and foster discussions, research, education and publications on a wide range of IR-related issues, for example, it has published the Journal of Industrial Relations since 1959. It also fosters professional development, including by holding webinars and conferences.
ALERA confers awards, including Life Membership, in recognition of individuals’ service in the IR and related fields.
ALERA is governed by an Executive Committee that includes up to four representatives from each of the constituent bodies.
ALERA is affiliated with and is an active member of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA).
