Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Encyclopedia
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, or more fully, the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union (AMWU) ("The Metalworkers") is an Australia
n trade union
that is registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
.
The AMWU is considered to be a left-wing union by the trade union movement. It has a number of subdivisions: Vehicle division, Metal and Engineering division, the Food and Confectionery division, the Technical, Supervisory and Administrative division (for white collar workers) and the Printing division. The AMWU has membership coverage over most workers in Australia's manufacturing industry.
in Ballarat.
n branch of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia in 1916.
n branch of the PIEUA only occurred in 1921 due to disputes between the small craft unions in the printing trade.
n and Victorian newspaper officers. They registered federally in 1942 as Federated Process Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees’ Association of Australia. They were then deregistered in 1943, and then reregistered under the same name in 1943. It changed its name to the Federated Photo Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia in 1952. In 1986 it merged with the PKIU.
, a Victorian. The union changed its name again in 1929 to the Food Preservers' Union of Australia. While it had fluctuating membership due to the seasonal nature of canning work, the union was one of the few which maintained a strong presence in rural Australia. In 1992 the union merged with the Confectionery Workers' Union.
In 1925 thee Federated Confectioners Association of Australia registered with the AIRC. In 1986 they changed their name to the Confectionery Workers Union of Australia. In 1992 it merged with the Food Preservers Union of Australia to form the Confectionery Workers & Food Preservers Union of Australia. This new union then amalgamated with the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union in 1994 to form the Automotive Food Metals & Engineering Union.
Until a more extensive history is written, please see the Australian Trade Union Archive entry listed below.
In Brisbane in 1915 the Association of Architects Engineers Surveyors and Draughtsmen of Australia (AAESDA) was formed. It registered in Queensland in 1917. In 1944, with branches in Victoria and New South Wales, AAESDA achieved federal registration. In 1948 it took over members from the deregistered Australian Association of Draughtsmen, and in 1971 took over members from the deregistered Federation of Scientific and Technical Workers. The union changed its name in 1981 to the Association of Draughting Supervisory and Technical Employees (ADSTE). In 1986 it amalgamated with the Australian Public Service Artisans' Association, and again in 1991 with the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union to form the Metals and Engineering Workers' Union.
A small Australia-wide union of skilled tradesmen occupying a strategic position in Australian engineering with strong links to the mining and railway industry. It was formed through the amalgamation of several state unions in 1899 although it did not gain federal recognition until 1916
This small, skilled union whose members specialised in ship construction and ship repair, was first registered federally in January 1916 as the Federated Shipwrights of Australia. Just a few months later, in September 1916, it changed to the Federated Shipwrights' Ship Constructors' & Boat Builders' Association of Australia. By the end of 1917, in what was a tumultuous period, the union had changed again, this time to the Federated Shipwrights Ship Constructors Naval Architects Ships Draughtsmen and Boat Builders of Australia. This union operated until 1933 when it succumbed to a further name change: the Federated Shipwrights’ & Ship Constructors’ Association of Australia. Operating until 1976 the Federated Shipwrights’ & Ship Constructors’ Association amalgamated with the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ & Shipwrights’ Union. When the Federated Moulders’ (Metals) Union amalgamated in 1983, the union changed slightly to the Amalgamated Metals Foundry & Shipwrights’ Union, but in 1985 reverted back to the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union. A 1991 amalgamation with the Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees created the Metals & Engineering Workers’ Union. Two years later a further amalgamation with the Vehicle Builders Employees’ Federation of Australia resulted in the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union. Finally in 1994 this union merged with the Confectionery Workers' & Food Preservers’ Union to form the Automotive Food Metals & Engineering Union
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
that is registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Australian Industrial Relations Commission
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission, or AIRC , was a tribunal with powers under the Workplace Relations Act 1996. It was the central institution of Australian labour law...
and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
.
The AMWU is considered to be a left-wing union by the trade union movement. It has a number of subdivisions: Vehicle division, Metal and Engineering division, the Food and Confectionery division, the Technical, Supervisory and Administrative division (for white collar workers) and the Printing division. The AMWU has membership coverage over most workers in Australia's manufacturing industry.
History
Today's AMWU was formed in 1995 as a result of recent amalgamations. The AMWU has a trade union history that goes back to 1857 and the Eureka StockadeEureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
in Ballarat.
Printing Division
In 1917 the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia (PIEUA) registered federally. In 1966 it changed its name to the Printing and Kindred Industries Union (PKIU) when it merged with the Amalgamated Printing Trades Employees' Union of Australia. In 1986 the PKIU merged with the Federated Photo Engravers, and in 1992 with the Victorian Printers Operatives' Union. In 1995 the PKIU became the Printing Division of the AMWU.Western Australian Branch on the PIEUA
In 1888 the Western Australian Typographical Society formed. This union changed its name in 1900 to the Western Australian Typographical Industrial Union of Workers and became the Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n branch of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia in 1916.
Victorian Branch of the PIEUA
The formation of the VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n branch of the PIEUA only occurred in 1921 due to disputes between the small craft unions in the printing trade.
- The Victorian Typographical Society merged to become part of the PIEUA Victorian branch.
- The Australian Bookbinders & Paper Rulers' Association is believed to have formed around 1878, and merged to become part of the PIEUA Victorian branch.
- The Ballarat Typographical Society formed in 1857. It was a small and conservative group, which avoided amalgamations until it merged to become part of the PIEUA Victorian branch.
Victorian Printers Operatives' Union
The Victorian Printers Operatives' Union was registered in 1987, but existed well before this date as the Printing Trades General Workers' Union. This union merged with the PKIU in 1992.Federated Photo Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia
The Federated Photo Engravers were active from 1910 as a smalled union of skilled workers in South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n and Victorian newspaper officers. They registered federally in 1942 as Federated Process Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees’ Association of Australia. They were then deregistered in 1943, and then reregistered under the same name in 1943. It changed its name to the Federated Photo Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia in 1952. In 1986 it merged with the PKIU.
Food and Confectionery division
Around 1898 a union of jam sauce and pickle workers formed, but only registered in 1911 as the Jam Sauce Pickle & Food Preserving Employees' Union of Australia. In 1916 it changed its name to the Amalgamated Food Preserving Employees' Union of Australia. The union was insignificant in organising food workers until 1922, when it was reorganised under the leadership of Percy ClareyPercy Clarey
Percy James Clarey was an Australian trade union leader and politician.-Early life:Clarey was born at Bairnsdale, Victoria, the fifth child of general agent Francis William Clarey and Jessie Littlejohn Clarey, née Lawson. The family soon moved to Melbourne, and Percy attended South Yarra State...
, a Victorian. The union changed its name again in 1929 to the Food Preservers' Union of Australia. While it had fluctuating membership due to the seasonal nature of canning work, the union was one of the few which maintained a strong presence in rural Australia. In 1992 the union merged with the Confectionery Workers' Union.
In 1925 thee Federated Confectioners Association of Australia registered with the AIRC. In 1986 they changed their name to the Confectionery Workers Union of Australia. In 1992 it merged with the Food Preservers Union of Australia to form the Confectionery Workers & Food Preservers Union of Australia. This new union then amalgamated with the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union in 1994 to form the Automotive Food Metals & Engineering Union.
Vehicle division
In the late 1890s the Coach-Makers' society was formed as a union in the horse-drawn coach building industry. In 1917 it registered as the Australian Coach Motor Car Tram Car Waggon Builders Wheelwrights and Rolling Stock Makers Employees' Federation. In 1930 it reregistered under the even more cumbersome name of the Australian Coach Motor Car Tram Car Waggon Builders Wheelwrights & Air Craft Rolling Stock Makers Employees’ Federation. In 1938 it changed its name to the much simpler Vehicle Builders Employees' Federation. In 1993 the Vehicle Builders Employees Federation of Australia merged with the Metals & Engineering Workers Union to form the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union.Until a more extensive history is written, please see the Australian Trade Union Archive entry listed below.
Metal and Engineering division
In 1991 the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union merged with the Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees to form the Metals & Engineering Workers’ Union In 1993 the Metals & Engineering Workers' Union merged with the Vehicle Builders Employees Federation of Australia for form the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union.Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees
In 1918 the Commonwealth Public Service Artisans Association was registered. It changed its name in 1975 to the Australian Public Service Artisans Association which then merged in 1986 with the Association of Draughting Supervisory and Technical Employees.In Brisbane in 1915 the Association of Architects Engineers Surveyors and Draughtsmen of Australia (AAESDA) was formed. It registered in Queensland in 1917. In 1944, with branches in Victoria and New South Wales, AAESDA achieved federal registration. In 1948 it took over members from the deregistered Australian Association of Draughtsmen, and in 1971 took over members from the deregistered Federation of Scientific and Technical Workers. The union changed its name in 1981 to the Association of Draughting Supervisory and Technical Employees (ADSTE). In 1986 it amalgamated with the Australian Public Service Artisans' Association, and again in 1991 with the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union to form the Metals and Engineering Workers' Union.
Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union
In 1851 the British Amalgamated Engineering Union established a branch in Australia. This branch registered in 1905 as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. It changed its name in 1921 to the Amalgamated Engineering Union, which was deregistered in February 1938. A replacement, the Amalgamated Engineering Union (Australian Section) was formed in 1938. The union remained a section of the British Amalgamated Engineering Union until 1969. After 1969 the union changed its name to the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). In June 1972 the AEU merged with the Sheet Metal Workers, Blacksmiths & Boilermakers and Federated Jewellers, forming the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union (AMWU) in 1973. The AMWU merged in 1976 with the Federated Shipwrights (forming the Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union) and in 1983 with the Federated Moulders' (Metals) Union (forming the Amalgamated Metals Foundry & Shipwrights Union ). In 1985 the union changed its name to the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union again.Federated Moulders (Metals) Union of Australia
A small Australia-wide union of skilled tradesmen occupying a strategic position in Australian engineering with strong links to the mining and railway industry. It was formed through the amalgamation of several state unions in 1899 although it did not gain federal recognition until 1916
Federated Shipwrights & Ship Constructors Association of Australia
This small, skilled union whose members specialised in ship construction and ship repair, was first registered federally in January 1916 as the Federated Shipwrights of Australia. Just a few months later, in September 1916, it changed to the Federated Shipwrights' Ship Constructors' & Boat Builders' Association of Australia. By the end of 1917, in what was a tumultuous period, the union had changed again, this time to the Federated Shipwrights Ship Constructors Naval Architects Ships Draughtsmen and Boat Builders of Australia. This union operated until 1933 when it succumbed to a further name change: the Federated Shipwrights’ & Ship Constructors’ Association of Australia. Operating until 1976 the Federated Shipwrights’ & Ship Constructors’ Association amalgamated with the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union to form the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ & Shipwrights’ Union. When the Federated Moulders’ (Metals) Union amalgamated in 1983, the union changed slightly to the Amalgamated Metals Foundry & Shipwrights’ Union, but in 1985 reverted back to the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union. A 1991 amalgamation with the Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees created the Metals & Engineering Workers’ Union. Two years later a further amalgamation with the Vehicle Builders Employees’ Federation of Australia resulted in the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union. Finally in 1994 this union merged with the Confectionery Workers' & Food Preservers’ Union to form the Automotive Food Metals & Engineering Union