Australian Industry Group
Encyclopedia
The Australian Industry Group, also called Ai Group, is an employers' organisation
, whose member's employ over 750,000 staff from throughout Australia
. The organisation covers a wide range of industries including manufacturing ; engineering; construction ; automotive; food; transport; information technology; telecommunications; call centres; labour hire; printing; defence; mining equipment and supplies; airlines; and other related service industries.
It is highly respected at all levels of government, and across the business community. It is also one of the largest industry organisations in Australia.
The Australian Industry Group actively collaborates with such institutions as the Housing Industry Association, the accountancy
firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers
, and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
to produce surveys of the various industries it represents, releasing both status reports on large sections of the Australian economy
, and of specific industries like the Australian construction industry and the manufacturing sector
. Deloitte sponsors Ai Group's premier annual event the National Forum and Annual National Dinner. The group maintains influences in a variety of public policy areas, weighing in on such issues as the Fair Work Act,minimum wage, skill shortages, environment and energy, occupational health and safety, trade, and defence. The Australian Industry Group provides information, advice and assistance to help members. Through policy leadership and research-based advocacy members are represented at all levels of government
by representing and promoting their interests on current and emerging issues.
Ai Group members operate small, medium and large businesses. They include many major Australian and global companies operating in a range of industries. The Group employs more than 300 staff and 550 apprentices and trainees through its training arm, Australian Industry Group Training Services.
The organisation includes workplace relations advisers, lawyers and employment and business specialists who provide services to members in the areas of: workplace relations; legal; human resource management; occupational health and safety; workers' compensation; the environment and energy; international trade and export; economics;tax
; business growth and skills.
Since March 2004, Heather Ridout
has been the Chief Executive of Ai Group and their chief spokesperson. Ai Group also operates the Ai Group Defence Council, which is the peak body representing the Defence industry in Australia. Ai Group also manages the Australian Constructors Association.
Ai Group is closely affiliated with more than 50 other employer groups in Australia alone and directly manages a number of those organisations.
The organisation has formal and long standing links with more than 80 overseas employer organisations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry;Confederation of Indian Industry
the Chinese Machinery Industry Federation; The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers; the US National Association of Manufacturers;National Association of Manufacturers
the Confederation of British Industry Confederation of British Industry
and Business New Zealand.
The Australian Industry Group traces its foundations back to 1873, with the creation of the Metal Trades Industry Association (MTIA). In 1998, MTIA merged with the Australian Chamber of Manufactures (ACM), forming Ai Group.
Ai Group has a stong media presence and is also on Twitter
with the account @The_AiGroup.
Employers' organization
An employers' organization, employers' association or employers' federation is an association of employers. A trade union, which organizes employees is the opposite of an employers' organization...
, whose member's employ over 750,000 staff from throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The organisation covers a wide range of industries including manufacturing ; engineering; construction ; automotive; food; transport; information technology; telecommunications; call centres; labour hire; printing; defence; mining equipment and supplies; airlines; and other related service industries.
It is highly respected at all levels of government, and across the business community. It is also one of the largest industry organisations in Australia.
The Australian Industry Group actively collaborates with such institutions as the Housing Industry Association, the accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers
PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
, and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is a multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Fiji, Asia, USA and the United Kingdom. Commonwealth Bank provides a variety of financial services including retail, business and institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance,...
to produce surveys of the various industries it represents, releasing both status reports on large sections of the Australian economy
Economy of Australia
The economy of Australia is a developed, modern market economy with a GDP of approximately US$1.23 trillion. In 2011, it was the 13th largest national economy by nominal GDP and the 17th largest measured by PPP adjusted GDP, representing about 1.7% of the World economy. Australia was also ranked...
, and of specific industries like the Australian construction industry and the manufacturing sector
Manufacturing in Australia
Although primary production is the main industry in Australia, manufacturing in Australia is still a significant industry.-History:The contribution of manufacturing to Australia's gross domestic product peaked in the 1960s at 25%, and had dropped to 13% by 2001–2 and 10.5% by 2005–6.In 2004–05, the...
. Deloitte sponsors Ai Group's premier annual event the National Forum and Annual National Dinner. The group maintains influences in a variety of public policy areas, weighing in on such issues as the Fair Work Act,minimum wage, skill shortages, environment and energy, occupational health and safety, trade, and defence. The Australian Industry Group provides information, advice and assistance to help members. Through policy leadership and research-based advocacy members are represented at all levels of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
by representing and promoting their interests on current and emerging issues.
Ai Group members operate small, medium and large businesses. They include many major Australian and global companies operating in a range of industries. The Group employs more than 300 staff and 550 apprentices and trainees through its training arm, Australian Industry Group Training Services.
The organisation includes workplace relations advisers, lawyers and employment and business specialists who provide services to members in the areas of: workplace relations; legal; human resource management; occupational health and safety; workers' compensation; the environment and energy; international trade and export; economics;tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
; business growth and skills.
Since March 2004, Heather Ridout
Heather Ridout
Heather Ridout is Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, an industry association providing advocacy and services to businesses in a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, automotive, ICT, transport, defence, labour hire and other industries.Running parallel to...
has been the Chief Executive of Ai Group and their chief spokesperson. Ai Group also operates the Ai Group Defence Council, which is the peak body representing the Defence industry in Australia. Ai Group also manages the Australian Constructors Association.
Ai Group is closely affiliated with more than 50 other employer groups in Australia alone and directly manages a number of those organisations.
The organisation has formal and long standing links with more than 80 overseas employer organisations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry;Confederation of Indian Industry
Confederation of Indian Industry
The Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organisation, seeking to play a proactive role in India’s development process. The organisation works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India,...
the Chinese Machinery Industry Federation; The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers; the US National Association of Manufacturers;National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 additional offices across the country...
the Confederation of British Industry Confederation of British Industry
Confederation of British Industry
The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
and Business New Zealand.
The Australian Industry Group traces its foundations back to 1873, with the creation of the Metal Trades Industry Association (MTIA). In 1998, MTIA merged with the Australian Chamber of Manufactures (ACM), forming Ai Group.
Ai Group has a stong media presence and is also on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
with the account @The_AiGroup.