Contesting Inequality and Worker Mobilisation

Michael Quinlan is emeritus professor of industrial relations, University of NSW and adjunct professor School of History and Humanities, University of Tasmania.

“Imaginative. Precise. Easy to read. Informative. Insightful. All these are apt descriptions of this book. Yet, they do not do it justice. It is work which constitutes a major contribution to scholarship and policy-making. It does so by inviting, no, by forcing, mainstream scholars and policy-makers to re-think their starting positions… This is a book which should be read by all of us who are students of, and activists in, capital–labour relations. We will profit in the best way: we will be enriched intellectually and, perhaps, inspired to do better.” Harry Glasbeek, York University, Canada"[This work] by Quinlan in many respects constitutes an outstanding resource for coming to grips with the detail of the origins and development of Australian labour law specifically."John Howe, University of Melbourne and Richard Mitchell, Monash University"Michael Quinlan has produced a valuable contribution to Australian labour history, distinguished by originality and by assiduous research. It deserves to be widely read and to inspire future work of equivalent scope and methodological range."Sean Scalmer, University of Melbourne

• 1. The Collective Impulse, Mobilisation and Political Economy. 2. Overview of Organisation, Methods and Patterns of Struggle. 3. Transport and Maritime Activities. 4. Worker Organisation in Agriculture and Rural Industry. 5. Mining. 6. Worker Organisation in Building and Construction. 7. Metal/Engineering, Printing and Transport Equipment. 8. Apparel, Footwear, Food/Beverages and other Manufacturing. 9. Retailing/Warehouses, Hospitality, Commercial and Personal Services. 10. Workers in Government and Community Service. 11. Wider Alliances, Peak-Union Bodies and Political Organisation. 12. Concluding Observations.