How the west was lost? Hamersley Iron, the birthplace of a decade of De-Unionisation
Hearn Mackinnon, Bruce 2003, How the west was lost? Hamersley Iron, the birthplace of a decade of De-Unionisation, in AIRAANZ Conference Proceedings 2003 : reflections and new directions, Melbourne, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, pp. 1-9.
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How the west was lost? Hamersley Iron, the birthplace of a decade of De-Unionisation
Given the focus of recent years on Rio Tinto's battles with the Australian union movement over its (largely successful) attempt to de-unionise its diverse mining and manufacturing operations, this paper examines how the company first introduced its 'staff employment system at Hamersley Iron in 1993. The success of this venture clearly provided a template for its replication throughout its many other operations over the following years. Though no doubt assisted by changed legal and political environments, this paper argues that it was ultimately the demonstration of managerial determination and a hesitant union leadership which led to the de-unionisation at Hamersley Iron. As the union movement/makes a renewed attempt to attract workers back to the fold, there are valuable lessons to be learnt from its earlier mistakes.
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