Australia. Guide to Australia

Professional organizations in Australia have the 1850s, when the Association of Builders began agitating for an 8-hour day. However, unions began to exert great influence on the policy after 1890. By this time the miners, Sailors, dockers and sheep shearer were united in unions. After unsuccessful strikes 1890-1892 strengthened the advocates of political action. At this time the Labour Party was formed.

Working movement of 1890-1930s advocated immigration restriction, especially from Asia and Pacific Islands; the termination of activity of enterprises with sweatshops; the introduction of systems for the control of wages and arbitration; old-age pensions.

In Victoria factory legislation has been passed in 1885, and during the 1890s, all colonies were quickly followed by the approval of laws to regulate businesses and mines, about health care, about the early closing of shops and control regime for ships. Mandatory industrial labor arbitration and state price ordering were first introduced in South Australia 1894, and in the rest of the colonies, in 1901.

In the period 1860 along 1900 all-Australian colonies, except New South Wales, sought to support the industry by introducing patronising tariffs. Decline in revenues from the production of bulk gold caused unemployment, and Victoria had to turn to customs duties in search of a source of income, because there wasn't much revenue from the sale of the royal lands, in New South Wales.

System of protective measures in Victoria was imposed by influential group of entrepreneurs, workers and politicians, look for sources of revenue, not subject to direct taxation. Different political courses of Victoria and New South Wales caused a lot of controversy on the border of these colonies.