Union Management Co-operation in the Vehicle Industry, 1983–1992

Abstract

This article examines the result of union-management co-operation for workers in the Australian vehicle industry in the 1980s and early 1990s. The focus is on the strategies and tactics of the Vehicle Builders Employees' Federation which extended considerable co-operation to management in this period. The record in three key areas is examined: the impact of employee participation schemes on the degree of information-sharing and the general managerial style in the vehicle industry; the effects of the first stages of the award restructuring process on training opportunities for blue-collar production workers; and the degree of job security in the industry. The article concludes that the strategy of the VBEF did not yield significant benefits for the union's membership and that advantages accrued mostly to the employers.