A view from the bench - 1951 State Basic Wage Meeting at the Hyde Park Barracks

Conditional solidarity and work-ins during industrial disputes of Sydney journalists 1943-69

Samuel Russell

BA Hons Newcastle, PhD candidate, Work and Organisational Studies, University of Sydney

Date:Wednesday 10 June 2009
Time:12 noon - 1 pm
Venue:Room 214/215, Faculty of Economics and Business, H69

All are very welcome to attend.

Abstract: The state of class consciousness of a section of workers is brought into relief by the pressures of industrial disputes. During disputes in Sydney in the 1943-1969 period for the Australian Journalists Association two conflicting trends emerge in the consciousness of their class position. Above award conditions and occupational interests caused the AJA to present a craft and sectional interest, effectively expressing their consciousness as workers in a fixed social position. At the same time, the use of work-ins, in the form of a Union substitute newspaper produced during strikes with the assistance of the Printers expressed a different consciousness of a position for journalists outside of the limitations of their then social position. Particular attention will be paid to the changing nature of work-in industrial action across the period, and the undermining of the work-in as a tactic and as the representation of a different social order, through institutionalisation and changed production techniques.

A light lunch is provided. Please RSVP to blhg@econ.usyd.edu.au by close of business on Monday 8 June so we can finalise numbers for catering.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Social Democratic Parties and Business: An Historical Analysis

Symposium

Monday 28 September 2009

Symposium Organisers/Editors: Geoff Gallop and Greg Patmore

In recent years Labor/Labour or Social Democratic Governments and business have been close allies in restructuring capitalist economies and increasing the influence of the market on economic life. This thematic section proposes to bring in researchers who are undertaking long-term studies of the relationship between social democratic governments and business from Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. Examples of topics include:

  1. Privatisation and de-regulation as public policy

  2. Neo-liberalism and social democratic ideology

  3. Fundraising, lobbying politicians and business

  4. Social democracy, unions and the labour market

  5. The politics of private-public partnerships and contracting out

  6. Commissions of Inquiry into government and business – what do they tell us?

Intending contributors should electronically submit an abstract (300 words) to the editors by Friday 17 April 2009 for consideration. Intending contributors then participate in a symposium to be held at the University of Sydney, Australia, on Monday 28 September 2009. Full papers (5,000 - 8,000 words) for the symposium will be due on Monday 14 September. After the symposium participants will have time to consider comments before the submission of the final paper for refereeing for the special thematic section of Labour History on Monday 23 October 2009. The thematic will appear in the May 2010 issue of Labour History.

A limited amount of financial assistance will be available for overseas participants in the symposium.

The symposium is organised by the Business and Labour History Group, Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney and we acknowledge the financial support of the Faculty of Economics and Business, The University of Sydney. All enquiries regarding the symposium and the special thematic section of Labour History should be addressed to the thematic editors at g.gallop@econ.usyd.edu.au and g.patmore@econ.usyd.edu.au