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Comrade: Bill Andersen – A Communist, Working-Class Life
'I am not interested in ambition in the bourgeois sense. The only ambition I have is to make sure I'm working for a progressive policy. Communism means that much to me. And, yes, I would certainly like to see New Zealand a Communist country.'
– Bill Andersen
Bill Andersen was one of the most significant figures of the twentieth-century trade union movement in New Zealand. In this biography, Cybèle Locke reveals the relationship between communism and working-class trade unionism during the Second World War and the following decades. Starting with Bill's experiences as a merchant seaman, Locke draws on over forty oral interviews, as well as Bill's unpublished autobiography, to explore what it meant to be a communist trade unionist through those years.
Comrade tells an absorbing story of labour activism and social change, from the post-war splintering of the world communist movement, which divided New Zealand communists; to the Northern Drivers' Union's emergence as a powerful social movement; and on to the stark impacts of neoliberalism on trade unions in the late 1980s and 1990s. Writing with insight and empathy, Cybèle Locke provides a highly readable account of a communist union leader navigating the social and political turmoil of the twentieth century.
– Bill Andersen
Bill Andersen was one of the most significant figures of the twentieth-century trade union movement in New Zealand. In this biography, Cybèle Locke reveals the relationship between communism and working-class trade unionism during the Second World War and the following decades. Starting with Bill's experiences as a merchant seaman, Locke draws on over forty oral interviews, as well as Bill's unpublished autobiography, to explore what it meant to be a communist trade unionist through those years.
Comrade tells an absorbing story of labour activism and social change, from the post-war splintering of the world communist movement, which divided New Zealand communists; to the Northern Drivers' Union's emergence as a powerful social movement; and on to the stark impacts of neoliberalism on trade unions in the late 1980s and 1990s. Writing with insight and empathy, Cybèle Locke provides a highly readable account of a communist union leader navigating the social and political turmoil of the twentieth century.
Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 22, 2023
It was excellent! It acknowledged Bill’s failings , but also highlighted his authenticity and commitment to his communism.
Most notably , was Locke’s outline of the dynamics at play that stopped the trade union movement standing up to the ECA.
Most notably , was Locke’s outline of the dynamics at play that stopped the trade union movement standing up to the ECA.
September 19, 2025
Genuine dude! Cool to learn about NZ industrial and political matters through his life.
January 10, 2023
Best book of 2022 - a must read for any NZer interested in unions, socialism, and the relationship between the labour movement and other struggles (tino rangatiratanga, women's movement, and others) in the 20th Century. Good bits on rugby league too.
April 10, 2023
A great read. Insight into a time in history
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews