MUA goes on the net for schools
In what must be applauded as a splendid initiative the Maritime Union of Australia has launched an education package on its website (www.mua.org.au; select About Us on the main menu, then click Ships of Shame, pirates, pickets & ports) designed for use in Australian secondary schools where there are curriculum opportunities to teach and learn about Australian trade unions and unionism. The material would also assist tertiary students seeking basic Industrial Relations background knowledge. A note for teachers explains how the package can be used in the classroom, There is a brief history of the MUA and its parent organisations, the Seamen's Union of Australia and the Waterside Workers' Federation, written for readers who have no prior knowledge of the union. There is a series of questions that treat the whole MUA website as a text to be researched and is designed to help students gain an overview of the functions of the union. Rowan Cahill, who conceived and wrote the package, is a labour movement historian and journalist, and for many years was a classroom teacher. He is co-author of A History of the Seamen's Union of Australia, 1872-1972 (1981) and wrote the Study Guide accompanying the film Wharfies (1988). Explaining why students should learn about trade unions, Rowan Cahill said: "Trade unions have helped shape the way Australians live, from their wages and working conditions to legislation protecting and advancing equity and social justice. Some, like the maritime unions, grew out of the experience of living and working in the Australian colonies and are among the nation's oldest economic and political formations. Collectively trade unions have been a dynamic force in shaping Australia's social and cultural history. "However this contribution tends to be overlooked, ignored, or forgotten, a process in which the collective spirit of the Australian 'character' is neglected in favour of individualism. "Important facts with far reaching political, social, and cultural implications are sidelined. For instance, during the 1880s and 1890s New South Wales and Victoria were probably the most unionised places in the world. "It is fitting that students have some familiarity with them", said Rowan Cahill. "If students are regarded as being suitable to be employees, then it is remiss of anyone to deny them the opportunity to learn about trade unionism, and about having some power over the determination of their wages and conditions and the quality of their working lives". Other Australian trade union websites with material about trade unionism intended for student and teacher use include the ACTU Worksite for Schools (http://www.worksite.actu.asn.au) with its wide range of Fact and Activity sheets, and the Labor Council of NSW (http://www.labor.net.au/teach) education resource which provides insight into the historical and contemporary roles of unions in Australia.