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Trade Unionism (1820s - )

From

1820s

Functions

Political Movement and Social Phenomenon

Alternative Names

Unionism

Details

Trade unions were first formed in Sydney and Hobart in the 1820s, with Melbourne and Adelaide following in the 1830s. These unions were craft-unions, societies of workers who practised the same craft. They had small memberships and were dependent on the economic climate, often emerging during times of prosperity and disappearing again during recessions. These early unions focused on improving wages and reducing working hours. The Eight Hour Day was achieved first by Melbourne stone masons in 1856.

The 1880s saw the formation of new industrial unions, which organised workers not by their particular craft but instead by the industry in which they were employed. Union membership peaked at around 200,000 in 1890, but fell dramatically following the Maritime Strike of 1890 and the depression of that decade.

From this time Unions became increasingly involved in politics - forming labour electoral councils which gave rise to the Australian Labor Party. They benefited from the development of a system of industrial arbitration, and by the 1920s membership rates in Australia had grown to be the highest in the world. In 1927 the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) was established as a peak body for Australian unions.

Unions suffered during the depression of the 1930s, with the rise of Communism and the associated alarmist panic about Communist influence within unions.

During the post-war boom a number of gains were made in working conditions, including equal pay for equal work for women and Aboriginal Australians. In the 1960s and 1970s unions were often militant and there were some instances of workers' control, such as the Sydney Opera House work-in during the autumn of 1972. The 1980s witnessed the development of the Accord between the Labor Governments of Hawke and Keating and the trade union movement through the Australian Council of Trade Unions. This agreement was used to constrain wage rise in exchange for greater levels of employment and social service. The ACTU also encouraged union amalgamation. During this period and subsequently union density has declined. Unions have nonetheless secured notable victories through significant campaigns, such as the defence of the Maritime Union of Australia during the 1998 waterfront dispute and against the Howard Government's proposed WorkChoices legislation, which helped defeat that government at the 2007 election.

During 2020 the ACTU, under the leadership of Sally McManus and Michelle O'Neill, unions prompted the Morrison Government to instigate the JobKeeper scheme and double JobSeeker payments, and argued for paid pandemic leave for workers.

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Related Institutions

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Resources

Books

Industrial Workers of the World: Preamble and Constitution, Industrial Workers of the World, Chicago, 1908. Image PDF Details
Workers' International Industrial Union: Constitution and Preamble, Workers' International Industrial Union, Sydney, 1917. Image PDF Details
Rebel Songs: A.S.L.F. Song Book, Australian Student Labour Federation, Sydney, 1953. Image PDF Details
Be an Active Unionist, Building Workers' Industrial Union of Australia, Sydney, 1961. Image PDF Details
Labor Movement at the Crossroads: The Way Forward After the 1963 Elections, Current Book Publications, Sydney, 1964. Image PDF Details
The Little Green Book: The Facts On Green Bans, Tomato Press, Sydney, 1974?. Image PDF Details
May Day Song Book, Melbourne May Day Committee, Melbourne, May 1990. Image PDF Details
"Joe the Bear", Job Control, Workers' International Industrial Union & The Socialist Labor Party, Adelaide, 1928. Image PDF Details
Anderson, Norman C., One Big Union For Australia, Will Andrade, Melbourne, 1922. Image PDF Details
Childe, Vere Gordon, How labour governs, A study of workers' representation in Australia, 1923 edn, The Labour Publishing Company, London, 188 pp. PDF Details
Council for Civil Liberties, Melbourne, Six Acts Against Civil Liberties, Council for Civil Liberties, Melbourne, August 1937. Image PDF Details
Gollan, Robin, Radical and working class politics: a study of Eastern Australia, 1850-1910, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1960. PDF Details
Judd, E, E., The Case for the O.B.U., Executive of the New South Wales O.B.U. Congress, Sydney, 1919. Image PDF Details
Lane, E. H., Dawn to Dusk, SHAPE, Brisbane, 1939. Image PDF Details
Orr, W and Nelson, C, Coal; the struggle of the mineworkers, Central Council Miners' Federation, 1930s?. Image PDF Details
Patten, John, Ned Kelly's Ghost: The Tottenham I.W.W. and the Tottenham Tragedy, Kate Sharpey Library, London, 1997. Image PDF Details
Purchase, Graham, Anarchism & Envrionmental Survival, See Sharp Press [this scan courtesy of Graham Purchase], Tucson, 1994, 85 pp. images PDF Details
Scott, Bon & Gary David (eds.), How to Make Trouble and Influence People: A Compilation of Australian pranks, hoaxes and political mischief making, Political Hooligan Publications, Sydney, 1996. Image PDF Details
Sharkey, Lance, The trade unions; communist theory and practice of trade unionism, Australian Communist Party, Sydney, September 1942. Image PDF Details
The Question Mark Collective, How to Stop Whining and Start Living, Scam Publications, Melbourne, 1998. Image PDF Details
Villiers, L. J., War on the workers, Workers' Press, Melbourne, 1918. Image PDF Details

Book Sections

Brodney, May, 'The speedy introduction of shorter hours; direct action, arbitration or legislation; classes for 1946', in The forty-hour week, Victorian Labor College, Melbourne, 1946. Image PDF Details

Cartoons

'Non-Unionism / Unionism', The Worker [Sydney] (Sydney), vol. 6, no. 6, 27 February 1897, p. 1. Image PDF Details

Films

Peter Gray and Garry Lane, Know Your Friends, Know Your Enemies, Narrated by Max Strong (shop steward) Location Sound by Lou Chin, Peter Gray [this copy courtesy Peter Gray], 1977. Also available at http://vimeo.com/21668006. Details

Fliers

Day of Conscience on Conscription for Vietnam War, Monday, November 25, 1968, Victorian Branch of the Metal Trades Federation, Melbourne, November 1968. Image PDF Details
We appeal for conscience on conscription – Release John Zarb, Melbourne, November 1968. Image PDF Details
Organizations to contact concerning anti-war activity, information, or advice, Melbourne, 1968. Image PDF Details
All the way with Clarrie O’Shea/ All Out!! Against Penal Clauses, Revolutionary Action Centre, Sydney, May 1969. images PDF Details
Release Clarrie O'Shea, Melbourne, May 1969. images PDF Details
Wages in crisis, May (?) 1991. Image PDF Details
Rank and File News Collective Invite you to a New Year's Eve Solidarity Party on the Picket, Rank and File News Collective, Melbourne, December 1998. Image PDF Details
Borders Workers Need a Union, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, 1998?. Image PDF Details
Gallagher, N.L., Release John Cummins Now!, ABCE and BLF; This copy courtesy Viola Wilkins, Melbourne, 19 July, 1990, 1 pp. images PDF Details
International Socialists, Support the Sanyo Workers, The Battler, Melbourne, 1978, 1 pp. PDF Details
Nuclear Disarmament Co-ordinating Committee, Hiroshima Never Again: Candlelight Procession, Sydney, 1982, 2 pp. PDF Details
Owens, Joe; Pringle, Bob; and Mundey, Jack, Owens, Mundy, Pringle Cleared, Joe Owens, Bob Pringle and Jack Mundey, Sydney, 1975c, 1 pp. PDF Details
S11 Alliance, Stand up for Global Justice and the Environment, Melbourne, 2000, 1 pp. PDF Details
Workers Against War, Workers Against War, Melbourne, 1991, 1 pp. images PDF Details

Journals

Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, December 1934. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 1935. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, November 1935. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 1935. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, December 1935. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, May 1935, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, 1935. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 1936. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, January 1936. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 1936. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 1936. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, July 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, December 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, October 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, January 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, September 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, August 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sdyney, April 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 1946. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, December 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, November 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, October 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, September 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, August 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, July 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 1947. Image PDF Details
Communist Review, Central Committee Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, January 1947. Image PDF Details
International: a revolutionary socialist magazine, vol. 7, no. 70, Australian Section of the Fourth International. [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May/June 1969. Image PDF Details
Australian Left Review, no. 47, July 1975. Image PDF Details
Frontline: journal of the International Socialists, no. 5, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, December 1976. Image PDF Details
Socialist Alliance, no. 2, socialist alliance [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, April 1994. Image PDF Details
Socialist Alliance, no. 1, Socialist Alliance [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, January 1994. Image PDF Details
Baracchi, Guido (ed.), Communist: a journal for the theory and practice of Marxism, 1925-1926. Image PDF Details
Friends of the Earth (ed.), Chain Reaction, no. 35, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia. [This scan courtesy of Friends of the Earth, Melbourne], Melbourne, 1984, 40 pp. PDF Details
Sharkey, L. L. (ed.), Communist Review, no. 53, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, January 1946. Image PDF Details
Sharkey, L. L. (ed.), Communist Review, no. 54, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, February 1946. Image PDF Details
Sharkey, L. L. (ed.), Communist Review, no. 55, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, March 1946. Details
Sharkey, Lance (ed.), Communist Review 1946-1947, no. 53-76, Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1946-1947. Image PDF Details

Journal Articles

'Australians fight coolie rates', The Australian author and artist: official organ of the A.J.A. Authors’ and Artists’ Section, vol. 1, no. 1, Authors and Artists’ Section of the N.S.W. District of the A.J.A.], Sydney, January 1947, p. 1&8. PDF Details
'Nine stone six wringing wet: Ted Bull retires -- end of an era on Melbourne Waterfront', The Independent Australian, vol. 4, no. 1, 1980. Image PDF Details
Gollan, R. A., 'Labor History', Bulletin, no. 1, January, 1962. Image PDF Details
Plews, Barry, 'Lawson -- lost and found', Bowyang, vol. 3, April 1980, 1980. Image PDF Details

Manifestos

Manifesto of the Revolutionary Workers Party (IV International), July 1943. Image PDF Details

Newsletters

Treason: for Revolutionary Anarchism, Issue no. 2, [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, May, 8 pp. images PDF Details
Woman worker, Communist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], 1928-1929. Image PDF Details
Socialist Comment, vol. II, Socialist Party of Australia (I) [This scan courtesy of the Socialist Party of Great Britain], Melbourne, June 1947. Image PDF Details
Socialist Comment, vol. II, Socialist Party of Australia (I) [This scan courtesy of the Socialist Party of Great Britain], Melbourne, August 1947. Image PDF Details
Viet Protest News, Vietnam Co-ordinating Committee, Melbourne, December 1968. images PDF Details
Oppression in Society - Freedom Day: July 4, Association for International Co-operation and Disarmament (AICD), Sydney, June 1970. Image PDF Details
Workers' voice; bulletin of the industrial committee of the Communist Party, vol. 1, September 1979. Image PDF Details
Treason: For Revolutionary Anarchism, Issue no. 3, [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1981. images PDF Details
Treason, Issue no. 1, [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], March, 9 pp. images PDF Details
Treason: For Revolutionary Anarchism, Issue no. 4, [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, Spring, 1981, 8 pp. images PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, Summer 98/99. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, Industrial Workers of the World, Winter 1999. Image PDF Details
Ovaries Forever: IWW Sister Workers Newsletter 1999-2000, Industrial Workers of the World, 1999. Image PDF Details
Workers Solidarity: Publication of the Melbourne IWW, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, April 1999. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, Industrial Workers of the World, Summer 99/2000. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, Industrial Workers of the World, Autumn 1999. Image PDF Details
Workers Solidarity: Publication of the Melbourne IWW, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, August 1999. Image PDF Details
Workers Solidarity: Publication of the Melbourne IWW, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, May 2000. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, Industrial Workers of the World, Autumn 2000. Image PDF Details
Workers' Liberty, Workers' Liberty, Sydney, November 2001. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, Industrial Workers of the World, 2008. Image PDF Details
Direct Action, Bulletin of the Australian Regional Organising Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World., Industrial Workers of the World - Australian ROC, Albany, Summer 2009-10, 16 pp. PDF Details
Gay Trade Unionists' Group, Gay Worker, Gay Trade Unionists' Group [This scan courtesy of the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Melbourne], 1981. PDF Details

Newspapers

Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 2, no. 40, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, October 9, 1915. image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 2, no. 42, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, October 23, 1915. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: An Organ of Industrial Unionism, vol. 1, no. 1, Industrial Union Propaganda League [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, December 1, 1921. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 119, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 28, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 120, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 5, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 121, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 12, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 122, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 19, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 123, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 26, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 131, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, August 4, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 125, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 9, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 135, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, August 18, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 126, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 16, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 127, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 23, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 128, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 30, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 129, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, July 7, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 130, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, July 14, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 131, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, July 21, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 124, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, June 2, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 110, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 24, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 109, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February 17, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 116, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 7, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 115, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 24, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 114, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 24, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 118, Industrial Workers of the World, Sydney, April 21, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 113, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 17, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 112, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 10, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 111, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, March 3, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: Paper of the Industrial Workers of the World, vol. 4, no. 117, Industrial Workers of the World [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 14, 1917. Image PDF Details
Direct Action: An Organ of Industrial Unionism, vol. 1, no. 3, Industrial Union Propaganda League [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, February, 1922. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 3, no. 3, Socialist Youth Alliance, Sydney, December 1970. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 6, no. 5, Socialist Youth Alliance, Sydney, March 1971. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 7, no. 7, Socialist Youth Alliance, Sydney, June 1971. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 4, no. 4, Socialist Youth Alliance, Sydney, January 1971. Image PDF Details
Tribune, no. 1698, March 31, 1971. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 21, no. 21, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 9 June 1972. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 25, no. 25, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 24 August 1972. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 15, no. 15, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 1 March 1972. Image PDF Details
SPA, Socialist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, April 1972. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 13, no. 13, Socialist Youth Alliance, Sydney, 17 January 1972. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 20, no. 20, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 22 May 1972. Image PDF Details
Battler, Socialist Workers Action Group, Melbourne, 1972-1974. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 36, no. 36, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 22 February 1973. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 50, no. 50, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 25 October 1973. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 43, no. 43, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 28 June. Image PDF Details
Direct Action 47, no. 47, Socialist Workers League, Sydney, 13 September 1973. Image PDF Details
Socialist, Socialist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, May 1974. Image PDF Details
'Rising Free', A paper of libertarian struggle, no. 3, [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilkins], Sydney, May, 8 pp. images pdf Details
'Rising Free', A paper of libertarian struggle, no. 2, [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilkins], Sydney, April, 8 pp. images PDF Details
'Rising Free', A paper of libertarian struggle, no. 4, [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilkins], Sydney, June, 8 pp. images PDF Details
Battler 1976, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1976. Image PDF Details
Socialist, Socialist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, 7 November 1979. Image PDF Details
Socialist, Socialist Party of Australia [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, 5 December 1979. Image PDF Details
Battler 1981, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1981. Image PDF Details
Battler 1983, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1983. Image PDF Details
'Battler 1985', Socialist, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1985. Image PDF Details
Socialist Action 1985, Socialist Action [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, Sep - Dec 1985. Image PDF Details
Socialist Action 1986, Socialist Action [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1986. Image PDF Details
Socialist 1986, International Socialists [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Sydney, 1986. Image PDF Details
Socialist Action 1988, Socialist Action [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1988. Image PDF Details
Socialist, no. 245, International Socialist Organisation, Sydney, January 1991. Image PDF Details
All Scrap, Anarcho-syndicalist metal workers' publication, no. 1, Dec 1995 - Jan 1996, 9 pp. images PDF Details
Angry People, Issues 10-12, no. 10-12, Angry People, 1995-1996, 58 pp. images PDF Details
All Scrap, no. 3, June-July 1996, 9 pp. images PDF Details
Angry People, Issues 13-14, no. 13-14, Angry People, 1996-1997, 50 pp. images PDF Details
All Scrap, Anarcho-syndicalist metal workers' publication, no. 5, April-May, 1997, 9 pp. images PDF Details
Front Line: Union Movement and Community Monthly, no. 49, FrontLine Publishing Board, Oct-Nov 1998. Image PDF Details
Angry People, no. 15, no. 15, Angry People, 1998. images PDF Details
Sparks: The Rank-and-File Transport Workers' Paper, no. 92, Mar-April, 2000, 11 pp. images PDF Details
Voice: For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism, no. 14, Socialist Party (Australian Section of the Committee for a Workers' International), Melbourne, September-October 2001. images PDF Details
'Direct Action', Publication of the Industrial Workers of the World - Australian ROC, Industrial Workers of the World - Australian ROC, Melbourne, Autumn 2012, 16 pp. PDF Details

Newspaper Articles

'Woman's Suffrage', The Dawn; a journal for Australian women (Sydney), 6 April 1891. Image PDF Details
'Federating Australian Labour', The Worker [Queensland] (Brisbane), 7 August 1890. Image PDF Details
'Unionist or non-unionist', The Worker (Qld) (Brisbane), 1 October 1890. Image PDF Details
'To Democratic Writers, Union Secretaries and Others', Tocsin, 2 November 1897. Transcript HTML Transcript PDF Details
'At last! A step forward. Militants form a left wing movement', Toiler (Brisbane), 1 December 1924. Image PDF Details
'Reactionary Politics in Unions', Southern Advocate for Workers' Councils and International Digest, no. 87, J.A.Dawson, Melbourne, August-September 1947. Image PDF Details
'The Tocsin's Platform', Tocsin, 2 November 1897. Transcript HTML Transcript PDF Details
Clarke, W.J., 'Australian Trade Union Congress', Socialist Standard (United Kingdom), February 1933. Image PDF Details
Radical, 'A Plea for Unity', The Pioneer, A. Timmann., Adelaide, 1 October 1892, p. 1. Image PDF Details

Pamphlets

Ballot-Riggers at Work! Defend the Unions, Communist Party of Australia, 1953, 22 pp. PDF Details
How the Crimes Bill Makes Hidden Attacks on Democratic Rights, Waterside Workers' Federation [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Sydney, 1960, 16 pp. PDF Details
Peace is Trade Unioin Business, Amalgamated Engineering Union, 1960. Image PDF Details
In memory of Jim Healy, sn, 1961. Image PDF Details
"I can get it for you wholesale!", Socialist Labour Party of Australia, Sydney, 1964. Image PDF Details
Women at Work, Words for Women, Sydney, 1971. Image PDF Details
Towards a socialist Australia : how the labor movement can fight back : documents of the Socialist Workers Party., Pathfinder Press [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victora], Sydney, 1977. Image PDF Details
35 Hours: More Jobs, More Leisure, Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union, Sydney, 1980. Image PDF Details
The Crabb Papers, Citizens For Democracy, October 1986. Image PDF Details
Australian Conservation Foundation: Annual Report 1988-89, Australian Conservation Foundation, 1989. Image PDF Details
Dissenterlink Update: Linking Social Security Recipients, Industrial Workers of the World, Melbourne, 199?. Image PDF Details
Australian Conservation Foundation: Annual Report 1989-90, Australian Conservation Foundation, 1990. Image PDF Details
Anarcho Syndaclism in Practice: Melbourne Tram Dispute and Lockout January - February 1990, Jura Books, Syndey, 1997. Image PDF Details
The People's Conference: the Alternative to the World Economic Forum, Public First [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilikins], Melbourne, 2000, 2 pp. images PDF Details
Why we Should be Concerned About Globalisation and the World Economic Forum, Public First [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilikins], Melbourne, 2000, 4 pp. images PDF Details
Equal Pay means rate for the job, c1958-9. Image PDF Details
What are these young people doing?, c1965. Image PDF Details
Unions warn: danger of total war, Sydney, c1965. Image PDF Details
Arrowsmith, John, Abolish the penal powers: freedoms fight of '69, Trades Hall Council Administrative and Financial Review Committee, Melbourne, 1969. Image PDF Details
Brown, Rev. William T., The Labour Movement. Its motive, aims, and purposes.. Image PDF Details
Brown, Tom; General Defence Committee, Why Strikes Fail, General Defence Committee [This Scan Courtesy of Viola Wilkins], Sydney, 1980, 11 pp. images PDF Details
Cambell, E. W., Historical background to the world labour movement, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, September, 1944. Image PDF Details
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist), Learn from the Ford Strike, Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], 1974, 16 pp. PDF Details
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist), The Australian Revolutionary Student Movement, Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Melbourne, June 1970, 6 pp. PDF Details
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist), Fight Latest Profit Rort of Multinationals, Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Melbourne, March, 1989, 13 pp. PDF Details
Communist Party of Australia. Central Committee., Australia's Part in the World Revolution: Theses of the Central Committee Plenum, Communist Party of Australia, June 28th and 29th, 1930., Communist Party of Australia, Sydney, 1930, 56 pp. PDF Details
Englart, E.C., Wharfies Still Fight for Democracy, Brisbane Branch, Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [This copy courtesy of John Englart], Brisbane, 24 September 1945, 1 pp. images PDF Details
Englart, E.C., Wharfies Locked-out, Brisbane Branch, Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [This copy courtesy John Englart], Brisbane, 25 September 1945, 1 pp. images PDF Details
Holland, H.E., Labor Leg-Ironed or Liberal and Labor Party Arbitration Acts in N.S.W, With introductory note by R.S. Ross, The Maoriland Worker, 1912. PDF Details
Howie, J., Reds in Congress: First Congress of the Red International of Labour Unions; Moscow, July 3rd, 1921, With preface by E.R. Voigt, Director and Secretary, Labor Research and Information Bureau, Trades Hall, Sydney., Industrial Print, Sydney, 1921, 33 pp. PDF Details
Judd, E. E., Judd's speech from the dock, Socialist Labour Party of Australia, Sydney, 1919. Image PDF Details
Kerin, Dave, Economic Democracy: Poverty and Price, Environment and Cost, Earth Worker Cooperative, Melbourne, 2010, 13 pp. PDF Details
Labor Anti-war Committee, Labor's case against war and fascism, Industrial Print, Melbourne, c1935. Image PDF Details
Laidler, Percy, Ruskin Press [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1924. Image PDF Details
Lockwood, Rupert, Jim Healy: leader of the Waterside Workers' Federation, Current Book Distributors, Sydney, August 1951. Image PDF Details
McNamara, Bertha, How to Become Rich Beyond the Dreams of Avarice in the Shortest Possible Time: Or, Labor & Socialism, The Worker Trade Union Print, Sydney, 1908, 16 pp. PDF Details
McPhillips, Jack, Penal Powers: Menzies' Weapon Against Unions and Wages, Current Book Distributors [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Sydney, August, 16 pp. PDF Details
McPhillips, Jack, Penal Powers Cost Unionists £1,000,000!, Current Book Distributors [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Sydney, September. PDF Details
Morris, William, Useful Work Versus Useless Toil, The Judd Publishing Co., Sydney, 1919. Image PDF Details
O'Brien, M, East of Suez, Australian Railways Union, Sydney, April 1966. Image PDF Details
Purchase, Graham, Anarchist Society and Its Practical Realization, See Sharp Press, San Francisco, 1990, 10 pp. images PDF Details
Purchase, Graham, The New Anarchy, A talk given by G. Purchase in the Migrant Resource Centre, West End, Brisbane at a conference. Mayday, 1994., Black Swan [This scan courtesy of Graham Purchase], Sydney, 1994, 7 pp. images PDF Details
Rathbone, Hugo, Australia Under Orders: Why our Wages are Being Attacked, Workers' Intelligence Bureau, Melbourne, 1930. Image PDF Details
Ross, Liz; Tom O'Lincoln, Tom; Willett, Graham, Labor's accord: why it's a fraud, Socialist Action [This scan courtesy of the State Library of Victoria], Melbourne, 1986. Image PDF Details
Sharkey, L. L., An outline history of the Australian Communist Party, Australian Communist Party, Sydney, 1944. Image PDF Details
South Coast Regional Employed and Unemployed Alliance, The Employed/Unemployed Alliance: Working Towards the Political Organisation of the Unemployed, South Coast Regional Employed/Unemployed Alliance, Wollongong, c1982, 2 pp. PDF Details
Spence, W.G., The Ethics of New Unionism, Poor quality scan., Australian Socialist League [This scan courtesy of Mike Williss], Sydney, 1892, 10 pp. PDF Details
Temple, Frederick, War Finance and the Worker, Holland Print, Adelaide, 1916. Image PDF Details
The Australian Building Construction Employees and Builders Labourers Federation, The Great Compo Battle, Includes foreword by N.L. Gallagher, General Secretary, A.B.C.E. and B.L.F., Melbourne, 1979, 32 pp. PDF Details
The Vag (Thos Batho), Random Ramblings, The People's Print, Sydney, 1920?, 47 pp. PDF Details
Trade Union Information and Research Centre, Unions and the Challenge of Technology, Trade Union Information and Research Centre [This copy courtesy of Meredith Burgmann], Sydney, June, 1982, 39 pp. PDF Details

Photographs

George Wragg, 1977. images Details

Press Releases

Friends of the Earth, Australian Conservation Foundation, Uniting Against Radioactive Waste: ACTU Moves Against Federal Govt Dump Plan, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation, August 2003, 1 pp. PDF Details

Sound recordings

Kerin, Dave; Cleary, John, Earthworker Social Enterprise's First Factory: Workers Leading the Way to a Green Economy., Talk and discussion at the New International Bookshop, Trades Hall, Carlton, on 7 July, 2010 at 6:30pm. Duration: 1 hr 42 min., Reason in Revolt: Source Documents of Australian Radicalism, Melbourne, 7 July, 2010. MP3 PDF Details
Kerin, Dave; Kuhn, Gabriel., The Return of the One Big Union? Syndicalism and the IWW in Australia and Sweden., Interview with Dave Kerin and Gabriel Kuhn; 46.43 minutes., Reason in Revolt: Source Documents in Australian Radicalism, Melbourne, 27 November 2009. MP3 Details
McIntyre, Iain, Victoria Street Squats Interview with Ian Milliss, Broadcast on Radio 3CR and podcast at the Australian Museum of Squatting and Community Audio, 3CR [This recording courtesy of Iain McIntyre], Melbourne, 2012. Also available at http://www.australianmuseumofsquatting.org/?p=445. MP3 Details

Theses

Fry, E. C., 'The Condition of the Urban Wage Earning Class in Australia in the 1880's', Thesis, Unpublished, 1956. Image PDF Details

Zines

Activate, no. 3, Summer, 1999, 18 pp. images PDF Details

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