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Actions by the newly elected Republican governors of Ohio and Wisconsin to restrict the collective bargaining rights of government workers have sparked a national debate in the United States over the rights of unions to collectively bargain. Read
As a committee of review presents controversial recommendations to revive Labor's popular base following the 2010 federal election, Simon Benson's Betrayal raises important issues about the relationship between the unions and Labor Governments, and the role of Labor's factions. Read
Recently elected president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Ged Kearney has an unapologetically assertive message to pitch to Australia’s 1.9 million union members – and the workers beyond union ranks. Read
Biography has long been a strong point of Australian labour historiography. Ironically, the Australian Labor Party’s multitude of state premiers have received relatively little attention. Nick Dyrenfurth reviews Peter Golding's new biography of former NSW Premier John Joseph 'Joe' Cahill. Read
One of the fascinating aspects of the global financial crisis (GFC) has been the sheer speed at which it has been produced and consumed in press. John Murray examines two books that contribute to the debate. Read
A two-week-long strike involving more than a thousand workers at the Honda transmission plant in Foshan triggered a wave of strikes across China in mid 2010. Read
The editors of Work and Strife in Paradise point out that labour relations have shaped Queensland’s history. Read
Bradley Bowden’s history provides more an insight into what is and will continue to be a successful Union dedicated into looking after not only its members but the wider community of Queensland. Read
Trade union members increased from 19% to 20% over the year to August 2009, although there has been no increase in the level of private sector employee participation in unions. ABS figures on employee earnings also suggest that while the centralised nature of wage fixation in Australia may have been eroded in recent decades, its influence profoundly lingers in the gender pay gap. Read
The 700 pages of provisions contained in the Rudd government’s Fair Work Act (2009) are a significant hurdle to obtaining a clear and concise understanding of the key elements of Australia’s national workplace system – a problem addressed by two new guides to Australian employment law and the new Act. Read
Harry Knowles reports that despite the financial downturn in Japan, the unionization rate in the world’s second largest economy increased slightly for the first time since 1975, a trend also evident in the United States. Read
Australian unions need innovative strategies and structures to organise in the private sector, where union membership has collapsed. Read
Alain de Botton’s The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
brings an instinctive empathy to our efforts to extract a sense of
self-worth from the daily grind. Read
LHMU National Secretary Louise Tarrant argues that through sheer hard work and smart organising strategies unions can rebuild industrial strength and grow their membership base. Read
TWU Secretary Tony Sheldon argues that the transport sector needs to do its bit in the new world of reducing carbon footprints. Read
Greg Patmore believes that the significance of this new study of Labor's early years has been highlighted by the recent clash between the ALP Annual Conference and the Iemma Government over the issue of electricity privatisation. Read
Michael Hogan argues that the fundamental skill of liberal democratic politics - a willingness to make compromises and accept second best for the sake of achieving genuine reforms - was systematically rejected by the "basket weavers and true believers" discussed in Tony Harris' book. Read
Mark Hearn and Grant Michelson introduce the themes of Rethinking Work and their relationship to the world of WorkChoices. Read
Michael Crosby's provocative call for revitalising Australia's unions raises some difficult - and unresolved - issues. Read
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