Sydney's construction union strategy and immigrant worker issues: a Roman Catholic-Marxist perspective

Authored book

Leung, Jenny Kwai-Sim and James, Kieran. 2010. Sydney's construction union strategy and immigrant worker issues: a Roman Catholic-Marxist perspective. Toronto, Canada. Spire Publishing.
Book Title

Sydney's construction union strategy and immigrant worker issues: a Roman Catholic-Marxist perspective

Book CategoryAuthored book
ERA Publisher ID3333
AuthorsLeung, Jenny Kwai-Sim (Author) and James, Kieran (Author)
Number of Pages130
Year2010
PublisherSpire Publishing
Place of PublicationToronto, Canada
ISBN9781926635408
Web Address (URL)http://www.amazon.com/Sydneys-Construction-Strategy-Immigrant-Worker/dp/192663540X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283420175&sr=1-1
Abstract

Based on fieldwork data gained through co-operation with the Sydney, Australia branch of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), we document key elements of union strategy at the branch level in the year immediately after the removal of the Howard Government in 2007. A key aspect of branch level strategy was building site visits by a team of organisers designed to rebuild influence on sites and reconnect with workers. Furthermore, the CFMEU's hiring of foreign language speaking organisers and production of foreign language publications is a praiseworthy attempt to reach out to ethnic minority workers and bring them under the 'mainstream' union umbrella. Through a set of micro-cases we detail migrant worker exploitation in the industry in Sydney and document a dedicated organizational strategy of humanitarian union action towards these workers which both goes beyond the normal expectations of union membership. 'Roman Catholic social teaching' and 'Marxism' inform our discussions.

Keywordsconstruction industry; immigrant workers; Marxism; Roman Catholic social teaching; Sydney; trade unions; union strategy
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020350504. Industrial and employee relations
500102. Business ethics
500104. Human rights and justice issues (excl. law)
441013. Sociology of migration, ethnicity and multiculturalism
Public Notes

Copyright © Jenny Kwai-Sim Leung and Kieran James.

Byline AffiliationsCharles Sturt University
School of Accounting, Economics and Finance
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