The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study

In this presentation I demonstrate how the Western Australian case study that forms the substance of my written paper can address two of the deficiencies in the existing study of peak bodies as demonstrated by Ellem and Shields in their paper, 'Theorising peak union formation, purpose and power...

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Main Author: Oliver, Bobbie
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Australian Society for the Study of Labour History 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35286
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author Oliver, Bobbie
author_facet Oliver, Bobbie
author_sort Oliver, Bobbie
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In this presentation I demonstrate how the Western Australian case study that forms the substance of my written paper can address two of the deficiencies in the existing study of peak bodies as demonstrated by Ellem and Shields in their paper, 'Theorising peak union formation, purpose and power'. According to Shields and Ellem, while 'in most Australian literature, the existence of a peak body is simply assumed and the motivations of its founders taken to be self evident', 'the briefest acquaintance with the history of Australia peak bodies reveals as much division as unity and often as many unions in 'splendid isolation' as within a peak body's comforting embrace'. They then go on to say that the AWU and the Labour Council of NSW are 'the most obvious' examples of 'organisational aloofness'.I hope that in detailing the major developments of the split between the ALP and the TLC, and the ACTU's role therein, I show the complexity of factors determining the development of peak bodies and the relationships of their affiliates.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-352862017-01-30T13:48:48Z The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study Oliver, Bobbie ACTU Labour history TLC Trade unions Western Australian Trades and Labour Council Political parties Australian Labour Party (WA) Australian Council of Trade Unions In this presentation I demonstrate how the Western Australian case study that forms the substance of my written paper can address two of the deficiencies in the existing study of peak bodies as demonstrated by Ellem and Shields in their paper, 'Theorising peak union formation, purpose and power'. According to Shields and Ellem, while 'in most Australian literature, the existence of a peak body is simply assumed and the motivations of its founders taken to be self evident', 'the briefest acquaintance with the history of Australia peak bodies reveals as much division as unity and often as many unions in 'splendid isolation' as within a peak body's comforting embrace'. They then go on to say that the AWU and the Labour Council of NSW are 'the most obvious' examples of 'organisational aloofness'.I hope that in detailing the major developments of the split between the ALP and the TLC, and the ACTU's role therein, I show the complexity of factors determining the development of peak bodies and the relationships of their affiliates. 2001 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35286 Australian Society for the Study of Labour History restricted
spellingShingle ACTU
Labour history
TLC
Trade unions
Western Australian Trades and Labour Council
Political parties
Australian Labour Party (WA)
Australian Council of Trade Unions
Oliver, Bobbie
The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title_full The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title_fullStr The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title_full_unstemmed The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title_short The Formation and Role of an Independent Trades and Labor Council in Western Australia: A Case Study
title_sort formation and role of an independent trades and labor council in western australia: a case study
topic ACTU
Labour history
TLC
Trade unions
Western Australian Trades and Labour Council
Political parties
Australian Labour Party (WA)
Australian Council of Trade Unions
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35286