John Howard has met with the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, as part of his European trip.
The two men discussed Industrial Relations reform, prompting a question to Howard about whether he would consider a three-year trial of the unfair dismissal laws legislation his government has before the Parliament. The legislation provides for the abolition of unfair dismissal laws as they apply to small businesses employing fewer than 50 people. Howard gave guarded support to the idea and is quoted as saying: “Three years, very interesting time!”