Trade Unionism in Australia
A History from Flood to Ebb Tide

This book examines the changing fortunes of Australian trade unionism in the past 40 years.

Tom Bramble (Author)

9780521888035, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 September 2008

310 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.63 kg

''Trade unions are far too often condemned to the leaden prose of institutional analysis. One of the great strengths of Tom Bramble's book is the way in which he conveys not just the arguments amid the changing fortunes of the union movement, but also the passions and allegiances that lay behind those arguments. This is not just a compelling analysis, but also a very human history, which starts from the strikes, bans and pickets of workers themselves.' Diane Fieldes, Lecturer in Industrial Relations, University of New South Wales

In the late 1960s Australian unionism was on the flood tide: growing in strength, industrially confident and capable of shaping the overall political climate of the nation. Forty years on, union membership and power is ebbing away despite community support for trade unionism and the continuing need for strong unions. Even the unprecedented mobilisation against WorkChoices, which defeated a government and lost the prime minister his own seat, has done little to turn the tide. With compelling rigour, Tom Bramble explores the changing fortunes of what was once an entrenched institution. Trade Unionism in Australia charts the impact on unions of waves of economic restructuring, a succession of hostile governments and a wholesale shift in employer attitudes, as well as the failure of the unions' own efforts to boost membership and consolidate power. Indeed, Bramble demonstrates how the tactics employed by unions since the early 1980s may have paradoxically contributed to their decline.

List of figures and tables
List of acronyms
Preface
Introduction
1. Trade unionism in the postwar boom, 1945–67
Part I. The Flood Tide: 2. The union upsurge, 1968–74
Part II. The Stand-Off, 1974–83: 3 Economic crisis and the halting of the flood tide, 1974–5
4. Unionism in the Fraser years
Part III. The Ebb Tide, 1983–2007: 5. The accord, 1983–90
6. Enterprise bargaining and a revived employer offensive 1990–6
7. Unionism in a cold climate, 1996–2004
8. WorkChoices and the defeat of the Howard Government
9. Results and prospects
Index.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], International economics [KCL], Economics of industrial organisation [KCD], Economics [KC]