Trans-Tasman Labour History: Comparative or Transnational?

Abstract

Three glorious summer days and the hospitality of the Auckland University of Technology provided an ideal environment for the first ever trans-Tasman Labour History Conference. Held at the Auckland University of Technology from 30 January to 1 February, 2007 the conference was attended by historians from inside and outside of universities, postgraduate students, and local labour movement activists. They listened to, and debated, over 30 stimulating papers by Australian and New Zealand speakers. The conference opened with a Powhiri in which local Maori representatives welcomed conference participants to the University marae. The following morning the proceedings began with a stimulating paper by Ann Curthoys and John Docker who took up arguments from their recent book to examine whether Labour History is Fact or Fiction. The lively discussion that followed revealed a refreshing interest in the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides. The conference organisers commissioned Australian and New Zealand historians to work on parallel papers which would result in joint papers on a variety of topics to be published in Labour History in 2008. This will follow the Australian-Canadian and Australian-British comparisons published in previous issues of Labour History. Bradon Ellem examined four crucial periods in the history of Australian unions while I discussed turning-points in New Zealand union history. A common theme was that, more than in other market economies, Australasian unions have been shaped by the state. J'^y^ileplp Ray Markey found much in common gv=H j^^iip between the Australian and New Zealand If v. Labo(u)r parties and asked whether they could 11 ' .) ; be regarded as an antipodean phenomenon. |L?. ' ' j-:?'' : Kerry Taylor considered whether the H(??-?:S Communist Party of Australia had played ^BBpgS the role of big brother to its fraternal party ||^^5|??i across the Tasman. Greg Patmore examined Ray Markey, Conference convenor the development of Rochdale consumer co Photographer: Belinda Nash, AUT Media Unit operatives m Australia and New Zealand. Michael Quinlan discussed the role of the state and the regulation of work in Australia while Gordon Anderson traced the equally significant role of the state in New Zealand industrial relations. Melanie Nolan presented a joint paper with Rae Frances and argued that New Zealand and Australia are natural subjects for a transnational study of gendered labour relations because of the similarity of their social institutions and political legislation. Erik Olssen gave a lively summary of recent research on class and labour in New Zealand.