ABSTRACT
Unlike the institutions of education and health, trade unions already had an established, public set of definitions about migrants long the post-war migration movement began. The outcome, nevertheless, was agreement that the trade union movement had ‘the major responsibility to change’ the exploited and disadvantaged position of migrant workers. Several saw the force for change outside the unions, in the ethnic communities, and found in their community activities an alternative and more promising arena in which to pursue their personal commitments. Migrants are catalysts for change in the union movement, calling into question the ‘essentially pragmatic’ style of Australian trade unionism and the stance of trade union officials ‘who disclaim any wider accountability than for short-term benefits to their members’. In the Australia-wide strike against General Motors Holden, Greek and Italian militants defied union officials. ‘The mass meetings’, says Jupp, ‘were riotous, the conduct of the strike ballot a farce, and the breakdown in union leadership embarrassingly public’.
