The Federation of Labour's right to bargain campaign: its background, impact and effectiveness

Abstract

In a period where trade union organisation was persistently attacked by the Government and denied the right to industrial bargaining, union leaders of the 1980s have committed themselves to a widespread understanding of industrial and wider economic issues facing working people. Organisationally the Federation of Labour ( FoL) set out to achieve this through the development of the "campaign" strategy. The campaigns included meetings, rallies, and short industrial stoppages. The first of the campaigns took place in 1980 and the most recent in 1984. This research examines the 1984 FoL campaign - the right to bargain campaign - and reveals that it was one of New Zealand's largest ever single industrial disputes, with over 57 000 workers losing over 125 000 working days in less than 3 months. The extent of the campaign reflects the increased ability of the FoL to coordinate and direct a campaign in selected areas. The campaign came to an abrupt end when Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, called an unscheduled General Election. This led the FoL to direct its efforts away from industrial stoppages and towards the election of a Labour Government. Labour won the 1984 election, winning particularly vvell in the major city centres. The authors hypothesise that the educative impact of the right to bargain campaign was in part responsible far that electoral victory and to that extent the carnpaign could be considered a success.