Labour History, no. 116 (May 2019)
Maritime labour has a history as old as labour itself and is of continuing significance in the modern world. This issue includes a thematic, edited by Diane Kirkby, which recognises the vitality of maritime labour studies with articles on a range of topics: employment conditions on British steamships, Lascar resistance in the age of sail and steam, the struggles of the Australian Maritime Union, the Queensland wharf labourers’ strike of 1928, maritime unionism in Timor-Leste, and the life of Harry Bridges. In this issue, you’ll also find non-thematic articles exploring new areas of research in Australian labour history. These include the Union of Australian Women’s support for Aboriginal rights, the Whitlam government’s controversial social welfare reforms, and the activity of Melbourne’s fascists and anti-fascists. Taken as a whole, the articles in this issue, even where focused empirically on Australia, enlighten questions of wider relevance and demonstrate a lively research agenda. Click here for more information.