Abstract
Post-war migration to Australia has swelled the total population by almost three million and has accounted for more than 50 per cent of the increase in the workforce. In industries such as clothing, building, engineering, metal, vehicle building, food, drink and tobacco manufacturing there are heavy con centrations of migrant workers. Trade unions covering these industries have been similarly impacted and this has prompted an investigation of migrant experiences in trade unions, particularly at the leadership level. This paper presents the facts concerning the incidence of migrant union officials in Victoria in the period 1971-4, and discusses some of the most salient factors that have so far determined the degree of migrant participation in union leadership.
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