Introduction+tu

Trade Unionism and Workers Rights
The Black Death in 1348 had the effect of putting labour in short supply. As a result there was upwards pressure on wages. King Edward III attempted to freeze wages paid to labourers at their pre-plague levels. The result of this action was the peasants, revolt. The Statute of Labourers was a vain attempt to enforce the Ordinance of Labourers, which had in theory frozen wages at their pre-plague levels. For more details follow the link to Ordinance of Labourers of Edward III In 1830 the wage of an agricultural labourer was nine shillings. In the following years the wage was reduced to eight shillings, and then to seven. In 1834, the workers were faced with the prospect of their wages being reduced to six shillings. It was against this background, some time between 1831 and 1833, (the precise date is unclear) that the men of Tolpuddle started up a Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers (F.S.A.L.). This association was heavily punished. The ringleaders, known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, were sent to Australia for their trouble. For more details follow the link on the Tolpuddle Martyrs .

Australia
In the early 1840s the economic depression led to the formation of the Mutual Protection Society, which was concerned with the protection of the working class. The society was successful in getting unemployment benefits for unemployed mechanics and labourers. Despite the activities of unions in these early days the conditions of the workers left much to be desired. The gold rush period of the 1850s saw labour in demand. Many went off to try their luck on the gold fields, and workers in the cities were in short supply. This led to a slight increase in wages and conditions. The miners' "rebellion" on the Ballarat goldfields of December 3 1854 left Australia with a powerful legacy. The Eureka Stockade incident was sparked by the demands for a reduction in the gold licence fee, for the right to vote and for the abolition of property qualifications to be a member of Parliament, as well as short-term parliaments and equal electorates. By the end of the gold rush era the Trade Hall Council and Trades and Labour Councils were formed. High on the priority was the establishment of the eight-hour day. But still by 1884 a Royal Commission into the conditions of employees found that "in many places employees are obliged to work for periods beyond the limit of human endurance". The 1890s was a turbulent time for the union movement. The depression at that time saw conditions decline, and troops were used to break strikes. Some workers found the conditions so harsh, they hired two ships to take them to Paraguay, where they established a colony called "New Australia". In the newly-formed Commonwealth, the Federal Government had the constitutional power to set up an arbitration system modelled on the New Zealand system. By 1927 the Australian Council of Trade Unions was established. The Union movement was established to improve the wages and conditions of the workers. By and large they were relatively successful. They were more successful in times of boom than in times of recession. Today, with the changing nature of work, more part-time and casual workers and more pressure from international competition, the union movement has seen membership fall, and is currently trying to redefine itself to meet the needs of the workers. From 1998 to 1999 the growth of profits has been at 18.7% while wages have grown at 1.8%. Workers are working longer hours and often this is in the form of unpaid overtime. With the threat of "downsizing", high levels of unemployment, difficulties in getting jobs for younger and older workers, the increasing use of casual labour and unfavourable government legislation for workers, there is more pressure being placed on the union movement and the workers in general to try and maintain their standard of living. If equity measures are not introduced by management, such as more consultation over changes, there may be an increase in industrial action, as there was in similar times in the past. For information on current union issues in Australia you can visit the following sites:-


 * Common Cause from the CFMEU || Mostly mining issues and examination of Federal government legislation from the union's perspective ||
 * Australian Council of Trade Unions || Home page of Australia's main union body ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Trades and Labour Council of NSW || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Home page of main union body in NSW ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Workers OnLine || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Official magazine of LaborNet dealing with current issues ||