Members of IRSNSW are advised that the 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held on 26 November 2026, commencing at 12pm, with registrations commencing at 11.45am.

• Location: Members Dining Room NSW Parliament House

• The agenda, reports and nomination forms will be posted on the Members Section of this site.

The Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales, in partnership with Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School, recently welcomed 40 industrial relations students to the fourth annual Careers in Industrial Relations Panel.

The event provided students with a valuable opportunity to explore career pathways in industrial relations, hear firsthand experiences from industry professionals, and connect with experienced practitioners.

This year’s panel featured Yolla Abousleiman (ETU), Dean Astley (Premier’s Department of NSW), Andrew Milwain (AirServices Australia) and Georgia Winlaw (Deloitte). Panellists shared insights from their diverse careers, highlighting the value of mentorship and the broad opportunities available within industrial relations. They also discussed how a career in IR can provide a unique understanding of how organisations operate, from the ground up.

Thank you to the panellists, event organisers (IRSNSW Students/Early Career Subcommittee), University of Sydney Business School, Work & Organisational Studies Society, and student MCs for their contributions to a successful event.

    

The Industrial Relations Society of NSW - Newcastle Branch is pleased to announce our Annual Conference is being held Friday 30 October 2026.

Please refer to event information here.

Around 50 people attended the Cabana Bar on 24 June to launch our 2026 Mentoring Program, which has now been running successfully for five years. We seek feedback at the end of the four month program and the response from mentees has been that they found it an invaluable experience.

Thank you to both the Mentoring Program and the Events Subcommittees for all their hard work in bringing the event together.

This year, we have nine mentoring pairs participating in the program. They will all undertake a training program designed to ensure that both mentors and mentees gain the maximum benefit throughout the mentoring journey.

We are delighted to give back to our members by offering complimentary events such as this one, providing opportunities to connect, network, and support one another.

The IRSNSW Annual Conference was held from 1–3 May at the Novotel Wollongong. This was the third time the conference had been hosted at the venue, with next year’s event set to move to a new location. Around 200 people attended, making it the largest conference attendance in recent decades.

The theme, HUMAN AFTER ALL: AI, CULTURE & COMPLIANCE IN THE WORLD OF WORK, gave delegates an opportunity to step away from their day-to-day roles and connect with leading industry experts. Following extensive legislative reform in recent years, speakers explored the human element amid increasing automation and regulation, and how organisations can balance technological advancement with a human-centred workplace culture.

Speakers presentations are available in our member portal HERE. 

Images courtesy of Camilla Corbett.

On 25 March 2026 IRSNSW hosted the IRSNSW Annual Practitioners' Day at Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.

Our sincere thanks go to our speakers, Michael Byrnes, Ian Latham, John Wydell, Kristine Thomas, Georgia Potter Butler, Commissioner Alana Matheson, and Julian Arndt for sharing their insights.

The event was a great success, and we thank everyone for joining us in person and online.

Skilling up for the Future of Industrial Relations

The industrial relations landscape is evolving fast — are you ready for what’s next? Join us on 25 March 2026 for the IRSNSW Annual Practitioners' Day, a must-attend event for IR professionals who want to stay ahead of change, sharpen their expertise, and future-proof their practice. Topics include developments in the unfair dismissal and general protections jurisdictions, reforms to the NSW Industrial Relations Act and Workers Compensation legislation, investigations and a whole lot more.

Click here for more details

The Industrial Relations Society of NSW - Newcastle Branch is excited to announce our first event of 2026:

IR Mastery: Building Core Strengths & Embracing New Skills

Link to event information

The Fair Work Commission has expanded its range of online learning resources.

The new ‘Preparing for a Hearing’ module is available now in the Online Learning Portal.  

This module is for employees and employers planning to represent themselves at a Commission hearing. It is also a valuable training resource for new practitioners appearing before the Commission. 

The module covers: 

• The hearing process 

• Procedural fairness 

• Preparing evidence, witness statements and submissions 

• The role of the Commission Member and others at the hearing 

• Dress code and appropriate behaviour 

• Presenting evidence, questioning witnesses, and making clear submissions  

• What to expect after a hearing

The module is free to access and contains video case studies, animations, learning checks, templates, and a downloadable guide. Users who log in can also obtain a completion certificate.

IRSNSW would like to thank everyone who attended the AGM and Patron’s Lunch on 6 November 2025, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Our sincere thanks go to our panel members, Patron, Anna Booth (Fair Work Ombudsman) and Justice Adam Hatcher (President of the Fair Work Commission), for sharing their insights on the more inclusive, often tripartite, approaches being taken by the two Fair Work entities in carrying out their respective functions. We also extend our appreciation to our outgoing IRSNSW President, Christa Lenard, for facilitating the panel. We take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Committee for their dedication and contributions over the past year, and to warmly welcome the incoming Committee. The list of Committee members can be viewed HERE.