GREEK UNIONISTS IN AUSTRALIAN TRADE UNIONS To the memory of eon Zaglanikes.

Documents show that most of the many thousands of Greek people who migrated to Australia after the Second World War were unskilled workers. They obtained employment in Australia as labourers and industrial workers. It was not long, however, before a number of Greek migrants realised that they had to join trade unions as organisers in order to work towards the improvement of employment conditions and employment services. not only for the Greek migrants but for all migrant workers. This paper examines the employment conditions under which Greek migrants worked in Australia, the government industrial policies towards them, the changing attitudes of the Australian trade unions towards migrants, and the role which Greek unionists played in creating changes of union attitudes towards migrants. The paper also examines the relevant literature that has been written about Greek unionists in Australia in order to: a) examine whether there is a balance between. on one side, the contribution made by Greek unionists to Australian trade unions and further to Australian society, and on the other side the amount of literature written about their contribution; b) create a theoretical basis as to why research needs to be carried out on a topic such as this paper presents; c) analyse and evaluate the impact of the presence of Greek unionists in Australian trade unions. Another aspect of the paper is the use of primary sources such as writings and interviews by Greek unionists (Greek men and Greek women unionists), as well as the analysis and evaluation of these sources. Thus the paper blends social and industrial history, personal testimonies, and theoretical and scientific evaluation in attempting t