The Birth of an Organising Union

More documents

Info

In December 1901 the labour movement celebrated the passage through the NSW Parliament of the Industrial Arbitration Act, which compelled employers to bargain with unions and workers: ‘Another Labor Victory!’ The Sydney Worker, the newspaper of the labour movement, declared that ‘The uncompromising attitude of the N.S.W. Political Labor League’ had forced the government to reinstate the clause which gave preference to trade unionists. Unions hoped that industrial arbitration would resolve the differences between capital and labour. Livingstone Hopkins, ‘The Labour Crisis’, Bulletin, 16 August 1890 For the Worker, the reinstatement of the clause reflected the success of the Labor Party since its birth in 1891. In that year, Labor won 35 seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly. The unions had established the Labor Party as a consequence of their frustration with the grim economic circumstances of the early 1890s, and the aggressive resistance to union campaigns for better wages and conditions by employers. 30 The Birth of an Organising Union
Since 1891 Labor had, according to the Worker, proved itself ‘the pacemaker of reform’, initiating a raft of legislation to improve the condition of workers and their families. Although Labor had not been able to win enough seats to govern, it held the balance of power in Parliament, and demanded from governments ‘support in return for concessions.’ In 1901 the preference for unionists clause allowed unions like the Trolly, Draymen and Carters to function as the effective representatives of their members in industrial disputes and cases brought before the NSW Industrial Arbitration Court. ❝ Since 1891 Labor had, according to the Worker, proved itself ‘the pacemaker of reform’, initiating a raft of legislation to improve the condition of workers and their families. ❞ The introduction of the Act provided a new basis for bargaining, although it was not until 1904 that the union was able to achieve its first industrial award under the Act. The introduction of compulsory industrial arbitration 31
Page 1: The Birth of an Organising Union Ce
Page 4 and 5: National Library of Australia Catal
Page 6 and 7: develop as the powerful voice of tr
Page 8 and 9: 2 The Birth of an Organising Union
Page 10 and 11: On Saturday 2 February 1901, a meet
Page 12 and 13: Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February
Page 14 and 15: * 1888: First attempt to unionise F
Page 18 and 19: The suburbs that folded around Darl
Page 20 and 21: Smokestack soot mingled with the pu
Page 22 and 23: Pyrmont Bridge at the turn of the c
Page 24 and 25: 18
Page 26 and 27: Across 1901 the records reveal the
Page 28 and 29: Not all work: the union’s fundrai
Page 30 and 31: Eight Hours and Safe Rates In 1901
Page 32 and 33: When the Trolly, Draymen and Carter
Page 38 and 39: TWU South Coast banner 32
Page 40 and 41: The hazards of carting heavy loads
Page 42 and 43: ‘The carriers are trying to combi
Page 44 and 45: The controversial Billy Hughes 38
Page 46 and 47: themselves to be manipulated by thi
Page 48 and 49: A fitting tribute to a reborn union
Page 50 and 51: The Trolly, Draymen and Carters’
Page 52 and 53: a lorry, with a work-man making the
Page 54: Sources and further reading A range

The Birth of an Organising Union

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?