Arbitration and Union Growth: Building and Construction Unions in NSW, 1901-1912

Abstract

The introduction of compulsory arbitration in New South Wales in 1901 did not lead to increased union membership levels among building and construction industry workers. The administration of the Act proved largely unworkable and delivered positive results to building employers rather than unionists. Instead, the recovery of unionism in this sector after the 1890s depression was due to a range of economic and other institutional factors, including the positive stimulus provided by the Public Works administration of E. W. O'Sullivan. The introduction of a revamped arbitration framework in 1908 probably did contribute to the strong growth in union membership in succeeding years, given the greater accessibility to awards it provided. Still, much of this encouragement was at best indirect. Here again, though, other factors— economic, industrial relations and political—were probably at least as important. Among these were a sustained building boom, the changed structure of the industry's workforce, the increasing scale of projects and a growing worker dissatisfaction with arbitration's meagre fruits.