Scientific Management and the General Strike of 1917: Workplace Restructuring in the New South Wales Railways and Tramways Department

1997 ◽  
pp. 37-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Taksa
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Scientific Management ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Workplace Restructuring ◽  
General Strike

Shop Committees in the New South Wales Railways

1975 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Warburton
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Trade Unionism ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Central Council ◽  
Disastrous Effect ◽  
General Strike

As early as 1934 the shop committees in the New South Wales railways were beginning to acquire the characteristics of a cohesive industrial force. An important factor in their development up to this time was the disastrous effect for Labor of the general strike in 1917 in the railways. The shop com mittees did not seek to replace the existing structures of trade unionism but to coexist with them. At the same time the authority and influertce of the movement depended in part on maintaining a measure of independence from the union hierarchy. This led to an uneasy relationship between the shop committees and some trade unions which climaxed with the expulsion of the Central Council of Railway Shop Committees from "observer" status represen tation at meetings of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council.

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