The politics of union-government relations: Public transport in two Australian states

Ruth Barton, null; Peter Fairbrother, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.2.2.0056

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 2, Issue 2

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The politics of union-government relations: Public transport in two Australian states

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Author(s): Ruth Barton , Peter Fairbrother

Publication date (Print): Autumn 2008

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

Successive governments, particularly in the Anglo-American world, have sought to redefine the state by redrawing the boundaries between the public and private sectors, with marked implications for trade unions. One consequence of this process is that relations between unions and governments are reforged. In Australia, governments have initiated comprehensive processes of corporatisation and privatisation. One result is that previously close and often informal partnership arrangements (in the case of Labor governments) have changed. This type of institutional reorganisation prompts a reassessment of union-government relations as well as a complex working out of new modes of governance. This article explores these themes in relation to public transport in two Australian states: New South Wales and Victoria.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Autumn 2008

Volume: 2

Issue: 2

Pages: 56-71

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.2.2.0056

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.2.2.0056

SO-VID: 66cdc772-24cd-4c83-8c54-f1f0933487ff

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

ABC (2005) ‘Rail Safety Report Warns of Deficiencies’. Accessed on September 19, 2008 from http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content.
AIRC (2008) ARTBIU Annual Returns, Australian Industrial Registry - Organisations AR2007/397. Accessed on September 19, 2008 from http://www.e-airc.gov.au/files/139v/139var2006340pt2.pdf. Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC). Accessed on September 11, 2008 from http://www.artc.com.au/Content.aspx?p=14.
Barton, R. & P. Fairbrother (2007) “‘We're Here to Make Money. We're Here to Do Business”: Privatisation and Questions for Trade Unions’, Competition and Change , Vol 11, No 3:241–259
Buller, J. & M. Flinders (2005) ‘The Domestic Origins of Depoliticisation in the Area of British Economic Policy’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 7, No 4: 526–543
Burnham, P. (1999) ‘The Recomposition of National States in the Global Economy: From Politicized to Depoliticized Forms of Labour Regulation’ in P. Edwards & T. Elger (eds) The Global Economy, National States and the Regulation of Labour , London: Mansell, London
Burnham, P. (2001) ‘New Labour and the Politics of Depoliticisation’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 3, No 2:127–149
Burnham, P. (2006a) ‘Restructuring State-Economy Relations: Britain under the Major and Blair Governments’ in P. Fairbrother & A. Rainnie (eds) Globalisation, State and Labour , London: Routledge:12–28
Burnham, P. (2006b) ‘Depoliticisation: A Comment on Buller and Flinders’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 8 No 2:303–306
Fairbrother, P. & D. Macdonald (2000) ‘Multi-National Ownership versus State Ownership: Labour - Management Relations in the Victorian and New South Wales Electricity Industries, Australia’, Journal of Industrial Relations , Vol 42, No 2:314–333
Fairbrother, P., M. Paddon & J. Teicher (eds) (2002) Privatisation, Globalisation and Labour: Studies from Australia , Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press
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Hickey, R. (2008) ‘Postal Privatization and the Transformation of the Global Logistics Industry’, Management International/International Management/Gestión Internacional , Vol 12 (Numéro spécial):9–49
Hyman, R. (2001) Understanding European Trade Unionism: Between Market, Class and Society , London: Sage Publications
ITF (2003) ‘Face to Face over Public Transport’, Transport International , Vol 1, No 3:19–20
Macdonald, D. & M. Bray (2002) ‘Preparing for the National Electricity Market: the NSW Electricity Industry’, in P. Fairbrother, M. Paddon & J. Teicher (eds), Privatisation, Globalisation and Labour: Studies from Australia , Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press:78–101
O'Brien, J. (2006) ‘Changing Public Sector Industrial Relations in the Australian Commonwealth’ in P. Fairbrother & A. Rainnie (eds) Globalisation, State and Labour , London, Routledge:97–118
Paddon, M. (1999) ‘Labour, Privatisation and Restructuring in the Asia Pacific’, in J. Teicher (ed) Public Sector Industrial Relations: Australian and International Perspectives , National Key Centre in Industrial Relations, Monash University, Melbourne:387–422
Peetz, D. (2006) Brave New Workplace: How Individual Contracts are Changing Jobs , Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin
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RTBU (2004) RTBU 'Bigger and Stronger!’, Union Express , Vol 1, No 10, 18 June
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Webb, R. (2000) Issues in Rail Reform , Department of the Parliamentary Library – Parliament of Australia, Research Paper 14:1999–2000, March
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Wilson, D. (1997a) ‘Transport Faces Turmoil’, The Sunday Herald Sun , 20 April
Wilson, D. (1997b) ‘Bill to Clear Way for Sale’, The Sunday Herald Sun , 3 August

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] ABC (2005) ‘Rail Safety Report Warns of Deficiencies’. Accessed on September 19, 2008 from http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content.

[2] AIRC (2008) ARTBIU Annual Returns, Australian Industrial Registry - Organisations AR2007/397. Accessed on September 19, 2008 from http://www.e-airc.gov.au/files/139v/139var2006340pt2.pdf. Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC). Accessed on September 11, 2008 from http://www.artc.com.au/Content.aspx?p=14.

[3] Barton, R. & P. Fairbrother (2007) “‘We're Here to Make Money. We're Here to Do Business”: Privatisation and Questions for Trade Unions’, Competition and Change , Vol 11, No 3:241–259

[4] Buller, J. & M. Flinders (2005) ‘The Domestic Origins of Depoliticisation in the Area of British Economic Policy’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 7, No 4: 526–543

[5] Burnham, P. (1999) ‘The Recomposition of National States in the Global Economy: From Politicized to Depoliticized Forms of Labour Regulation’ in P. Edwards & T. Elger (eds) The Global Economy, National States and the Regulation of Labour , London: Mansell, London

[6] Burnham, P. (2001) ‘New Labour and the Politics of Depoliticisation’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 3, No 2:127–149

[7] Burnham, P. (2006a) ‘Restructuring State-Economy Relations: Britain under the Major and Blair Governments’ in P. Fairbrother & A. Rainnie (eds) Globalisation, State and Labour , London: Routledge:12–28

[8] Burnham, P. (2006b) ‘Depoliticisation: A Comment on Buller and Flinders’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations , Vol 8 No 2:303–306

[9] Fairbrother, P. & D. Macdonald (2000) ‘Multi-National Ownership versus State Ownership: Labour - Management Relations in the Victorian and New South Wales Electricity Industries, Australia’, Journal of Industrial Relations , Vol 42, No 2:314–333

[10] Fairbrother, P., M. Paddon & J. Teicher (eds) (2002) Privatisation, Globalisation and Labour: Studies from Australia , Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press

[11] Flinders, M. & J. Buller (2006) ‘Depoliticisation: Principles, Tactics and Tools’, British Politics , Vol 1, No 3:293–318

[12] Grenier, J.N. & F. Malo (2008) ‘La Restructuration des Services Publics et les Relations de Travail Dans L'adminstration Publique Québécoise’, Management International/International Management/Gestión Internacional , Vol 12 (Numéro spécial):32–38

[13] Hickey, R. (2008) ‘Postal Privatization and the Transformation of the Global Logistics Industry’, Management International/International Management/Gestión Internacional , Vol 12 (Numéro spécial):9–49

[14] Hyman, R. (2001) Understanding European Trade Unionism: Between Market, Class and Society , London: Sage Publications

[15] ITF (2003) ‘Face to Face over Public Transport’, Transport International , Vol 1, No 3:19–20

[16] Macdonald, D. & M. Bray (2002) ‘Preparing for the National Electricity Market: the NSW Electricity Industry’, in P. Fairbrother, M. Paddon & J. Teicher (eds), Privatisation, Globalisation and Labour: Studies from Australia , Annandale, NSW: The Federation Press:78–101

[17] O'Brien, J. (2006) ‘Changing Public Sector Industrial Relations in the Australian Commonwealth’ in P. Fairbrother & A. Rainnie (eds) Globalisation, State and Labour , London, Routledge:97–118

[18] Paddon, M. (1999) ‘Labour, Privatisation and Restructuring in the Asia Pacific’, in J. Teicher (ed) Public Sector Industrial Relations: Australian and International Perspectives , National Key Centre in Industrial Relations, Monash University, Melbourne:387–422

[19] Peetz, D. (2006) Brave New Workplace: How Individual Contracts are Changing Jobs , Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin

[20] Pollit, C. & G. Bouckaert (2004) Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis , 2nd ed; Oxford: Oxford University Press

[21] Productive Edge Consulting Group (1998) Back on Track: Managing Rail Maintenance in the New South Wales Rail Network , Sydney: PTU

[22] RailCorp (2008) Accessed on September 11, 2008 from http://www.railcorp.info/about_railcorp/organisation_structure.

[23] Rees, M. (2003) ‘National Express Withdraws from Australian Showpiece of Privatised Transport’. Accessed on August 17, 2004 from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/tran-27_prn.shtm.

[24] RTBU (nd) Waterfall – Never Again , Sydney: RTBU NSW Branch

[25] RTBU (2004) RTBU 'Bigger and Stronger!’, Union Express , Vol 1, No 10, 18 June

[26] Simpson, K. (2003) ‘Transport Deal Edges Closer’, The Sunday Age , 2 November

[27] Stephenson, C. & P. Stewart (2001) ‘The Whispering Shadow: Collectivism and Individualism at Ikeda-Hoover and Nissan UK’, Sociological Research Online , Vol 6, No 3:1–15

[28] Turner, L. (2006) ‘Globalization and the Logic of Participation: Unions and the Politics of Coalition Building’, Journal of Industrial Relations , Vol 48, No 1:83–97

[29] Van Gramberg, B. (2002) Liberation vs Market Driven Management in Victorian Local Government , Victoria University School of Management, Working Paper series, No 11.

[30] Webb, R. (2000) Issues in Rail Reform , Department of the Parliamentary Library – Parliament of Australia, Research Paper 14:1999–2000, March

[31] Whitfield, D. (2001) Public Services or Corporate Welfare: Rethinking the Nation State in the Global Economy , London: Pluto Press

[32] Wilson, D. (1997a) ‘Transport Faces Turmoil’, The Sunday Herald Sun , 20 April

[33] Wilson, D. (1997b) ‘Bill to Clear Way for Sale’, The Sunday Herald Sun , 3 August