Abstract
Remarkably, given the attention paid to Vietnam, industrial relations was by 1972 considered one of the most important issues in Australian politics. It had dominated the agenda at the 1971 national ALP conference.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
To put this into some contemporary perspective, in the year to September 2016 a mere 106,500 working days were lost (ABS, 2016).
- 2.
The name of the donor has never been released, but rumour has it that he acted on behalf of the government (Jamieson, 2009).
- 3.
The simple categorisation of the two officials into left and right camps is somewhat problematic, as Hawke himself pointed out: ‘On the floor of the Congress I could not win without significant support from the Right and, to the limited extent one could speak of such a category, the non-aligned’. In seeming justification of such a categorisation, however, Hawke conceded that ‘my campaign lieutenants were all men of the Left’ (Hawke, 1994: 47–48).
- 4.
Again, a clear distinction between ‘right’ and ‘left’ unions is difficult to make. In this period, however, Hagan argued that right unions were generally supportive of compulsory arbitration, opposed to strikes (often a result of their industrial weakness), had more faith in the election of a Labor government as a solution to industrial problems, and opposed to strikes on political issues. The left, by contrast, was more committed to socialism, and more lukewarm in its support for the election of a Labor government. Left unions approached strikes either as an alternative to arbitration or as a means to educate the working class in order to prepare it for replacing capitalism with a socialist system, depending on how far left a position on the spectrum the union occupied. Left unions were more favourably disposed towards the use of industrial action for furthering political objectives (Hagan, 1981: 251–252; 277–278).
- 5.
The Arbitration Commission helpfully decided that employers could absorb increases in awards by reducing over-award payments (Bentley, 1980: 27).
- 6.
Clyde Cameron himself cited figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) showing in 1970 the number of hours lost per 1000 workers. While Australia had lost 810, the US had lost 1390, Canada 2550, and Italy 4440 (HRH, 7 December 1971: 4198).
- 7.
‘Business Executives for a Change of Government’ took out advertisements in major newspapers lamenting crises that had enveloped the government in recent times (see, for example, The Australian, 8 November 1972: 6).
- 8.
‘Political’ strikes refer here to those against the Vietnam war and the 1970 budget, rather than those aimed at gaining improvements in wages and conditions. However, it should be noted that distinguishing an ‘industrial strike’ from a ‘political’ strike is problematic. Strikes aimed at securing improvements in working conditions can take on political dimensions when they are subject to legal restrictions. Having said that, the approach taken henceforth is to accept, subject to the above qualifications, the legitimacy of distinguishing between political and industrial strikes. As Hay writes: ‘It may be that all trade union activity is ultimately industrial, but clearly not all such activity is ultimately political. A strike over unsanitary toilet facilities or an overtime ban in support of increased bonuses for instance, is not. A distinction between types of strikes can be made then, not on the grounds of whether the strike is ultimately industrial but on whether it is ultimately political’ (Hay, 1978: 25).
- 9.
Again, by contrast, in 2013, just 17% of Australian workers were members of a trade union in their main occupation (ABS, 2013).
- 10.
A section of the NSW Labor Party created by unions in 1915 to mount a block vote on issues before annual party conferences, and when it came to the election of party officials (Turner, 1979: 94).
References
ABS. (1974). Official yearbook of Australia: 1974, No. 60, Canberra.
ABS. (2013). Employee earnings, benefits and trade union membership. Australia, August 2013. www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@nsf/mf/6310.0.
ABS. (2016). Industrial disputes, Australia, September 2016, Released December 1, www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6321.0.55.001.
ALP. (1965). Federal Platform, Constitution and Rules as Approved by the 26th Commonwealth Conference, Canberra, August.
ALP. (1967). Platform, Constitution and Rules as Approved by the 27th Commonwealth Conference, Adelaide, August.
ALP. (1969). Platform, Constitution and Rules as Approved by the 28th Commonwealth Conference, Melbourne, August.
ALP. (1982). Australian Labor Party 35th Biennial National Conference, Transcript, Canberra, July 5–8.
Australian Left Review. (1971, May). Jim Cairns and Bill Hartley—An interview. Australian Left Review, 30.
Barker, G. (1972, March 29). The labor alternative. The Age.
Barnes, A. (1971, October 12). Strikes will be a major issue. The Age.
Beazley, K. (2000). Beazley launches labor IR policy. Inaugural Fraser Lecture, Canberra Labor Club, May 31, cited at: http://www.labor.net.au/news/293.html.
Beckett, R. (1970, July 17). Union rivals woo nurses. The Age.
Bentley, P. (1980). Recent strike behaviour in Australia: causes and responses. In G. W. Ford, J. M. Hearn, & R. D. Lansbury (Eds.), Australian labour relations: Readings (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Macmillan.
Bramble, T. (1996). Managers of discontent: Problems with labour leadership. In R. Kuhn & T. O’Lincoln (Eds.), Class and class conflict in Australia. Melbourne: Longman.
Broderick, W.F. (1972, April 8). Mr. Chips turns militant. The Age.
Bryant, G. (1971, October 21). Mr. Whitlam’s vote counts as one. Letter to the Editor, The Age.
Burgmann, M., & Burgmann, V. (1998). Green bans, red union: Environmental activism and the New South Wales Builders Labourers’ Federation, Australia: UNSW Press.
Cameron, C. (1970) Industrial protest: The right to strike. Paper delivered by Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Clyde Cameron to the University of Adelaide Seminar on Social Order and the Right to Dissent, November 27/28, Adelaide, South Australia.
Cameron, C. (1971, 13 October). Transcript of interview with Mike Carleton on ‘This Day Tonight’.
CBCS. (1970). Official year book of the commonwealth of Australia: 1970, No. 56, Canberra.
Cliff, T., & Gluckstein, D. (1996). The labour party: A marxist history (2nd ed.). London: Bookmarks.
Cole, K. (1982). Unions and the labor party. In K. Cole (Ed.), Power, conflict and control in Australian Trade Unions. Ringwood: Pelican.
Colless, M. (1972a, September 21). The new breed of shop stewards. The Australian.
Colless, M. (1972b, November 24). Unions too busy to strike. The Australian.
Curtis, A. (1967, July 1). Now is the winter of our discontent. The Australian.
Donn, C. B. (1983). The Australian council of trade unions: History and economic policy. Lanham: University Press of America.
Elias, D. (1979, June 16). Militant memories for Clarrie O’Shea. The Age.
Emy, H. V. (1993). A political overview: From social democracy to the social market economy. In H. V. Emy, O. Hughes, & R. Mathews (Eds.), Whitlam re-visited: Policy development, policies and outcomes. Leichardt: Pluto Press.
Emy, H. V., Hughes, O., & Mathews, R. (Eds.). (1993). Whitlam re-visited: policy development, policies and outcomes. Leichardt: Pluto Press.
Fabian Papers. (1986). The Whitlam phenomenon. Ringwood: McPhee Gribble/Penguin.
Farmer, R. (1971, October 10). Whitlam takes up election challenge on strikes. The Australian.
Glascott, J. (1970, October 29). Ready to Strike. Sydney Morning Herald.
Glascott, J. (1971, April 13). Shop stewards in power. Sydney Morning Herald.
Griffin, G. (1985). White collar militancy: The Australian Banking and Insurance Unions. Sydney: Croom Helm.
Guy, B. (1999). A life on the left: A biography of Clyde cameron. Kent Town: Wakefield Press.
Hagan, J. (1981). The history of the A.C.T.U. St Kilda: Longman Cheshire.
Hallows, J. (1968a, August 8). The trades unions. The Australian.
Hallows, J. (1968b, August 9). The unions and the courts. The Australian.
Harris, S. (1972). Political football: The springbok tour of Australia, 1971. Melbourne: Gold Star.
Hawke, B. (1994). The Hawke memoirs. Port Melbourne: William Heinemann.
Hay, P.R. (1978). Political strikes: Three burning questions. Journal of Industrial Relations, 20(1) (March).
Howard, W.A. (1977). Australian Trade Unions in the context of union theory. Journal of Industrial Relations, 19(3) (September).
Hughes, C.A. (1970). Australian political chronicle May–August 1970: The commonwealth. The Australian Journal of Politics and History, XVI(3) (December).
Hurst, J. (1969, July 2). Paying the price. The Australian.
Hurst, J. (1971, October 14). Labor MPs kill strike fine plan. Sydney Morning Herald.
Jamieson, I. (2009). Clarrie O’Shea and the 1969 victory for union rights. Direct Action, Issue 11, May. www.directaction.org.au/issue11/clarrie_oshea_and_the_1969_victory_for_union_rights.
Jones, M. (1970, July 4). Australia’s growth is tied to womanpower. Sydney Morning Herald.
Kirby, R.C. (1970). Thirteenth annual report of the president of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, year ended 13 August 1969, Parliamentary Paper No. 189, Canberra: Commonwealth Government Printing Office.
Lloyd, C., & Clark, A. (1976). Kerr’s king hit. Stanmore and North Melbourne: Cassell Australia.
MacCallum, M. (1970, August 20). Labor party will try to force an early election. The Australian.
Manning, H. (1992). The ALP and the union movement: ‘Catch-all’ party or maintaining tradition? Australian Journal of Political Science, 27(1) (March).
McQueen, H. (1970). Laborism and socialism. In R. Gordon (Ed.), The Australian new left: Critical essays and strategy. Melbourne: Heinemann.
Pullan, R. (1980). Bob Hawke: A portrait. Sydney: Dymocks.
Ramsey, A. (1971, October 14). Whitlam defeated on strike penalties: Party sees it as rebuff to his adviser. The Australian.
Ramsey, A. (1972, March 14). No election lull, warns Hawke. The Australian.
Randall, K. (1971a, April 14). Unions get support to “black” visits by all-whites. The Australian.
Randall, K. (1971b, June 24). Trade unions dying, MP warns labor. The Australian.
Rawson, D. W. (1978). Unions and unionists in Australia. Sydney: George Allen and Unwin.
Sheridan, T. (1972). Mindful militants: The Amalgamated Engineering Union in Australia 1920–1972. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Silverman, S. (1966). Political strikes in Australia. In J. E. Isaac & G. W. Ford (Eds.), Australian labour relations: Readings (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Sun Books.
SMH. (1969, May 20). Stampede. Sydney Morning Herald.
SMH. (1970, April 14). Free-for-all? Sydney Morning Herald.
SMH. (1971a, September 23). Strike turmoil. Sydney Morning Herald.
SMH. (1971b, December 16). Labor and the unions. Sydney Morning Herald.
SMH. (1972a, February 18). Tub-thumping. Sydney Morning Herald.
SMH. (1972b, November 20). The real issues of the election. Sydney Morning Herald.
Stubbs, J. (1971, October 15). The new division of labor. Sydney Morning Herald.
Sutherland. (1970, August 20). ACTU calls national strike over the budget. The Age.
The Age. (1969, May 20). Strikes and sanity. The Age.
The Australian. (1971, May 4). Finding a solution to strikes. The Australian.
The Australian. (1972, February 3). The place of trade unions. The Australian.
Thomas, P. (1983). Miners in the 1970s: A narrative history of the Miners Federation. Sydney: Miners Federation.
Thomson, O. (1971a, March 30). What’s a nice bank manager like you doing in a union? The Australian.
Thomson, O. (1971b, March 29). Government from exile? The Australian.
Thornhill, M. (1970, November 7). An industrial storm hits the cinemas after 50-year calm. The Australian.
Trotsky, L. (1983). The interaction between booms, slumps and strikes. International Socialism, 20 (Summer).
Turner, I. (1978). In union is strength: A history of trade unions in Australia, 1788–1978 (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Nelson.
Turner, I. (1979). Industrial labour and politics: The dynamics of the labour movement in eastern Australia. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger.
Wain, B. (1970, August 22). When is a mutiny not a mutiny? The Australian.
Walsh, M. (1979). Poor little rich country: The path to the eighties. Ringwood: Penguin.
Wells, F. (1966, January 20). Fragmentation of unions. Sydney Morning Herald.
Wells, F. (1969a, May 16). 350,000 hold strikes over gaol action. Sydney Morning Herald.
Wells, F. (1969b, May 18). War against penal provisions. Sun-Herald.
Wells, F. (1969c, May 21). What do the unions want?. Sydney Morning Herald.
Wells, F. (1969d, January 19) 1969 Could be Year of the Big Strikes. Sun-Herald.
Whitehead, R., & Lovell, A. (1969, May 21). ‘$8,600 paid ‘to help the public’. Sydney Morning Herald.
Williams, E. (1971, June 20). Labor looks confidently to its moment of truth. The Australian.
Williams, M. (1970, September 29). Trade union that fights an army’s pay battles. The Australian.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lavelle, A. (2018). The First Whitlam Opposition (1967–1972): The Sleeping Giant Stirs—Industrial Relations Policy and Labor’s Relationship with the Unions. In: Opposition Vanishing. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5825-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5825-7_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-5824-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-5825-7
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)