Waterside workers, 1927-1929

 
Component identifier:
Series 36
Content Summary:

In November 1927 and September 1928 the Waterside Workers Federation organised nationwide strikes. In the 1928 strike the Bruce-Page Government instituted proceedings against the Federation and also legislated to control employment on the waterfront and to protect volunteer labour. Latham took a deep interest in conditions on the waterfront throughout 1928 and 1929.

In this series are some unsigned reports by an agent who investigated allegations of pilfering and criminal activities on the waterfront in Sydney, Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne in July-November 1927. There are some notes on the waterside workers' strikes of 1927 and 1928, including a record of a conversation between Latham and C. Crofts of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions concerning the Transport Workers Act (25 September 1928). Printed items include W. Jethro Brown, 'The strike of the Australian waterside workers' ( Economic Record, May 1929), copies of the 1928 and 1929 Transport Workers Acts and Regulations, and of the waterside workers' award issued by Judge G. S. Beeby in June 1928. The correspondence dates from January-August 1929 and is concerned with the efficiency of volunteer labour, grievances of volunteers, disputes at Port Adelaide, unemployment among Federation members at Brisbane, and Latham's proposal for the decasualisation and self-government of the stevedoring industry. The correspondents include A. S. Elford of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association and R. S. Butler, the South Australian Premier. Finally, there are some newscuttings (April-August 1929).

Comprises Files 1-7 (Items 1-143). Newscuttings in Folder 7 have not been assigned item numbers.

Immediate source of acquisition:
The bulk of the collection was presented to the National Library by Sir John Latham in December 1963, a few months before his death. In November 1974 the Library purchased some further papers from a secondhand book dealer. They comprised family letters and photographs, some diaries and papers relating to the High Court. These papers have been amalgamated into the original collection.

Access and use

Parent Restrictions:
Available for research. Not for loan.
Parent Terms of Access:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: