Essential Reading

Laurie Carmichael was a voracious reader, and he encouraged other officials, organisers, and delegates to lift their reading to improve their contribution.

Often, he provided recommended reading in casual conversations and in more formal meetings and training courses.

This example is from Doug Cameron, a power industry delegate who later became a renowned National Secretary of the Union, that shows what Carmichael recommended to him after he was elected to an official role in the AMWSU.

Cameron says Carmichael gave him this list during their first discussion after he had been elected around 1983 by the members to his first full-time organiser's role.

Global Reach, click here

In the late 1970’s the AMWSU sponsored a national speaking tour for Richard Barnet, one of the authors of this important book.

Australia and World Capitalism, click here

Carmichael and the AMWSU were active supporters of Ted Wheelwright, an activist political economist who founded the first Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney. Graduates from the Department could take seriously the possibility of working in the Research Department at the AMWSU.

Penal Colony to Penal Powers, click here and click here

Jack Hutson, the author of this book, produced three outstanding books for AMWU members and this is one of them. The others were “Six Wage Concepts”, in effect a history of wage setting in Australia up to the early 80’s, and “Inflation, the Silent Robber”, a primer written for union members on economics in theory and in practice during the high inflation period.

These books were first published in serial form direct to AMWSU members in the pages of the union’s monthly journal.

Political Economy of Capitalism, Paul Sweezy

Probably, the book is this one: The Theory of Capitalist Development. Click here.

Strategy for Socialism, Stuart Holland. Click here.