Unions in a Contrary World The Future of the Australian Trade Union Movement [Hardcover]

This book explains the decline in trade union participation, looking at both macro and micro levels.Australia once had extremely high levels of trade union participation yet since the 1970s the number of union members has been falling dramatically. This book gives the clearest picture yet of why people do or do not belong to unions and, in a sophisticated way, examines the reasons for union decline. Uniquely, it considers both macro and micro levels, looking at the structure of the economy and the labour market, the ideological dispositions people have towards unionism, the role of the state and the political and industrial strategies of unions.Australia once had extremely high levels of trade union participation yet since the 1970s the number of union members has been falling dramatically. This book gives the clearest picture yet of why people do or do not belong to unions and, in a sophisticated way, examines the reasons for union decline. Uniquely, it considers both macro and micro levels, looking at the structure of the economy and the labour market, the ideological dispositions people have towards unionism, the role of the state and the political and industrial strategies of unions.Australia once had extremely high levels of trade union participation yet since the 1970s the number of union members has been falling dramatically. This book gives the clearest picture yet of why people do or do not belong to unions and, in a sophisticated way, examines the reasons for union decline. Uniquely, it considers both macro and micro levels, looking at the structure of the economy and the labor market, the ideological dispositions people have toward unionism, the role of the state and the political and industrial strategies of unions.Introduction; 1. Patterns and issues in union decline; 2. Joining and leaving; 3. Sympathy for unions; 4. Structural change in the labour market; 5. The institutional break in union membership; 6. Within the workplace; 7. The Accord and the pol3!