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Labour and Industry
A journal of the social and economic relations of work
Volume 19, 2009 - Issue 3
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Symposium: The Changing Boundaries of IR as a Field of Study

WHY BECOME A SHOP STEWARD? EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

Pages 157-188 | Published online: 10 Apr 2013
 

Abstract

Shop stewards are crucial to the vitality of unions, yet our understanding of why workers take on this important role is incomplete. This qualitative study seeks to contribute to addressing this gap by exploring the factors that influenced workers to become shop stewards in three dissimilar industries (construction, cleaning, and higher education). It draws on earlier research to investigate the explanatory potential of two sets of influences—personal factors and social processes—in interviews with 20 shop stewards and officials from three Australian unions. The study's findings support this conceptual approach, but suggest scope for its refinement. Finally, avenues for further research are identified, and policy implications for unions discussed.

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