Sydney's Construction Union Strategy and Immigrant Workers

Kieran James; Jenny Kwai-Sim Leung

Sydney's Construction Union Strategy and Immigrant Workers

Kieran James, Jenny Kwai-Sim Leung

School of Business and Creative Industries

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Abstract

This book studies the Sydney (Lidcombe) branch of Australia’s CFMEU
in an attempt to document and critique its branch level strategy in the
year immediately after the removal of the Howard-Costello Government,
i.e. November 2007 to November 2008. This ‘transitional time’, prior to
the Rudd-Gillard Government releasing its own plans for workplace
relations, was a time of excitement and anticipation in union offices and
building sites across the country as people perceived that the balance of
power between labour and capital had changed. However, industry
participants remained unsure of exactly how far the new government
would go in dismantling the repressive workplace laws of its predecessor.
CFMEU strategy at the Sydney branch level during this transitional time
revolved around a program of ‘rebuilding influence’ on the building sites.
We also document CFMEU strategy in relation to immigrant worker
issues, as revealed through several micro-cases, and offer some
observations as to how effective the CFMEU’s actions were in each case.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Paisley, Scotland
Publisher	Kieran James (via Lulu.com)
Number of pages	162
Edition	2nd
ISBN (Print)	9780244045746, 9780244639310, 9780244642952
Publication status	Published - 13 Nov 2017

Keywords

BLF
CFMEU
Construction Unions
Immigrant Workers
Industrial Relations
Marxism
Roman Catholicism
Social History
Sydney
Sydney History
Trade Unions
Union Strategy
Western Sydney

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

2017 11 13 James et al Sydney finalFinal published version, 836 KB

Cite this

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title = "Sydney's Construction Union Strategy and Immigrant Workers",

abstract = "This book studies the Sydney (Lidcombe) branch of Australia{\textquoteright}s CFMEUin an attempt to document and critique its branch level strategy in theyear immediately after the removal of the Howard-Costello Government,i.e. November 2007 to November 2008. This {\textquoteleft}transitional time{\textquoteright}, prior tothe Rudd-Gillard Government releasing its own plans for workplacerelations, was a time of excitement and anticipation in union offices andbuilding sites across the country as people perceived that the balance ofpower between labour and capital had changed. However, industryparticipants remained unsure of exactly how far the new governmentwould go in dismantling the repressive workplace laws of its predecessor.CFMEU strategy at the Sydney branch level during this transitional timerevolved around a program of {\textquoteleft}rebuilding influence{\textquoteright} on the building sites.We also document CFMEU strategy in relation to immigrant workerissues, as revealed through several micro-cases, and offer someobservations as to how effective the CFMEU{\textquoteright}s actions were in each case.",

keywords = "BLF, CFMEU, Construction Unions, Immigrant Workers, Industrial Relations, Marxism, Roman Catholicism, Social History, Sydney, Sydney History, Trade Unions, Union Strategy, Western Sydney",

author = "Kieran James and Leung, {Jenny Kwai-Sim}",

note = "Dr Kieran James is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was formerly Accounting Professor at University of Fiji from 2013-15. He has published scholarly articles in the following journals: Accounting Forum, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, International Journal of Critical Accounting, International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, Musicology Australia, Pacific Accounting Review, Punk & Post Punk, and Sporting Traditions. His main research interests are: accounting education; business ethics education; critical and Marxist perspectives on accounting and the labour process; employment prospects in accounting for minority groups; trade union strategy and immigrant worker issues; Singapore opposition politics and oppositional youth activism; and the sociology of death-metal and punk music scenes. Ms Jenny Kwai-Sim Leung has eight years{\textquoteright} working experience as an internal auditor and accountant in both Hong Kong and the People{\textquoteright}s Republic of China. She is a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) graduate from Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga, Australia). She has published scholarly articles in Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, International Journal of Economics and Accounting, International Journal of Social Economics, Korean Journal of Industrial Relations, and Managerial Auditing Journal. Jenny moved from PRC to Hong Kong at age 14 and at the time of the field-work for this research lived in Toowoomba, Australia.",

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N1 - Dr Kieran James is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was formerly Accounting Professor at University of Fiji from 2013-15. He has published scholarly articles in the following journals: Accounting Forum, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, International Journal of Critical Accounting, International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, Musicology Australia, Pacific Accounting Review, Punk & Post Punk, and Sporting Traditions. His main research interests are: accounting education; business ethics education; critical and Marxist perspectives on accounting and the labour process; employment prospects in accounting for minority groups; trade union strategy and immigrant worker issues; Singapore opposition politics and oppositional youth activism; and the sociology of death-metal and punk music scenes. Ms Jenny Kwai-Sim Leung has eight years’ working experience as an internal auditor and accountant in both Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. She is a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) graduate from Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga, Australia). She has published scholarly articles in Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, International Journal of Economics and Accounting, International Journal of Social Economics, Korean Journal of Industrial Relations, and Managerial Auditing Journal. Jenny moved from PRC to Hong Kong at age 14 and at the time of the field-work for this research lived in Toowoomba, Australia.

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N2 - This book studies the Sydney (Lidcombe) branch of Australia’s CFMEUin an attempt to document and critique its branch level strategy in theyear immediately after the removal of the Howard-Costello Government,i.e. November 2007 to November 2008. This ‘transitional time’, prior tothe Rudd-Gillard Government releasing its own plans for workplacerelations, was a time of excitement and anticipation in union offices andbuilding sites across the country as people perceived that the balance ofpower between labour and capital had changed. However, industryparticipants remained unsure of exactly how far the new governmentwould go in dismantling the repressive workplace laws of its predecessor.CFMEU strategy at the Sydney branch level during this transitional timerevolved around a program of ‘rebuilding influence’ on the building sites.We also document CFMEU strategy in relation to immigrant workerissues, as revealed through several micro-cases, and offer someobservations as to how effective the CFMEU’s actions were in each case.

AB - This book studies the Sydney (Lidcombe) branch of Australia’s CFMEUin an attempt to document and critique its branch level strategy in theyear immediately after the removal of the Howard-Costello Government,i.e. November 2007 to November 2008. This ‘transitional time’, prior tothe Rudd-Gillard Government releasing its own plans for workplacerelations, was a time of excitement and anticipation in union offices andbuilding sites across the country as people perceived that the balance ofpower between labour and capital had changed. However, industryparticipants remained unsure of exactly how far the new governmentwould go in dismantling the repressive workplace laws of its predecessor.CFMEU strategy at the Sydney branch level during this transitional timerevolved around a program of ‘rebuilding influence’ on the building sites.We also document CFMEU strategy in relation to immigrant workerissues, as revealed through several micro-cases, and offer someobservations as to how effective the CFMEU’s actions were in each case.

KW - BLF

KW - CFMEU

KW - Construction Unions

KW - Immigrant Workers

KW - Industrial Relations

KW - Marxism

KW - Roman Catholicism

KW - Social History

KW - Sydney

KW - Sydney History

KW - Trade Unions

KW - Union Strategy

KW - Western Sydney

M3 - Book

SN - 9780244045746

SN - 9780244639310

SN - 9780244642952

BT - Sydney's Construction Union Strategy and Immigrant Workers

PB - Kieran James (via Lulu.com)

CY - Paisley, Scotland

ER -

Sydney's Construction Union Strategy and Immigrant Workers

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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