Brian Boyd (unionist)
Encyclopedia
Brian Boyd was elected secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council
on 5 May 2005, succeeding Leigh Hubbard
in this position, one of Australia
's most powerful trade union
roles. He is longstanding member of Birds Australia
.
Mr Boyd worked for the Builders Labourers Federation
in the 1980s before the BLF was deregistered. He has also coordinated Victoria's building unions, and worked as an industrial and campaigns officer with Melbourne Trades Hall.
In regard to the right to strike and industry-wide bargaining, Brian Boyd was reported in The Age
in April 2007 "I'm arguing that there's still an unfettered right to strike, no limitations on it; we might want to stop work to give consideration to the Iraq war, for instance," The statement was made in regard to the debate around Federal Australian Labor Party
policy leading up to the 2007 Federal election.
In regard to Australian Workplace Agreement
s (AWA) Brian Boyd has voiced concern many may breach OHS law following statistics released in April by the major newspapers that claim 30% of AWAs do not allow workers to have rest breaks during scheduled hours of work. He has called AWAs that breach OHS regulations as criminal and asked that WorkSafe Victoria
prosecute any employer found to have taken away this safety condition under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. “Workers are protected by occupational health and safety law. Our Victorian law says that the employer has to provide a safe system of work – and that includes decent rest breaks,” Boyd said. “Employers think they can do what they want under Howard’s laws, but they are forgetting that state-based OHS laws still call them to account.”
In May 2009 Brian Boyd was re-elected unopposed to the VTHC Secretaryship for a further 4 years.He has been a
member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions(ACTU) since 2005.
SOME BACKGROUND
Brian Boyd was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 17th of July 1951.He immigrated to Australia in 1956 with his father
(Thomas Boyd),his mother (Sarah "Sadie" Boyd née Toan),his brother Leonard "Lenny" and sister Lynne.His youngest
brother David was born in Australia.Brian grew up in the industrial Latrobe Valley, specifically Morwell where he
graduated from Morwell High School in 1969.
From 1970 to 1976 he tried various tertiary institutions before graduating from Latrobe University with a BA Dip Ed.
Between 1979 and 1991 he was married to fellow trade unionist Mary Bluett, having 3 children: Tiffany b 1981 (dec),Nicole b 1983,Rory b 1985.
In 2010 (5/6) he married longtime partner Christine Thomas.
In Dec 2010 IR academic Gordon McCaskie, overseen by Swinburne University professor Dr Peter Love, successfully completed a Masters Degree based on a biographical thesis on Brian Boyd's industrial and political life.
Boyd became world-renowned when he famously said, "John Howard is as welcome in Melbourne today as a yellow-bellied black snake at a barbecue!"
Victorian Trades Hall Council
The Victorian Trades Hall Council is a representative body of trade union organisations, known as a Labour council, in the State of Victoria, Australia...
on 5 May 2005, succeeding Leigh Hubbard
Leigh Hubbard
Leigh Hubbard was secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council for 10 years from 1995 to 2005, one of the most powerful trade union positions in Australia...
in this position, one of Australia
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...
's most powerful 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...
roles. He is longstanding member of Birds Australia
Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union
The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native bird species of Australia and adjacent regions. This makes it Australia's oldest national birding association. It is also Australia's largest...
.
Mr Boyd worked for the Builders Labourers Federation
Builders Labourers Federation
The Builders Labourers Federation is an Australian trade union organisation which existed from 1911 until 1972, and from 1976 until 1986, when it was permanently deregistered in various Australian States by the federal Labor government and some state governments of the time. This occurred in the...
in the 1980s before the BLF was deregistered. He has also coordinated Victoria's building unions, and worked as an industrial and campaigns officer with Melbourne Trades Hall.
In regard to the right to strike and industry-wide bargaining, Brian Boyd was reported in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
in April 2007 "I'm arguing that there's still an unfettered right to strike, no limitations on it; we might want to stop work to give consideration to the Iraq war, for instance," The statement was made in regard to the debate around Federal Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
policy leading up to the 2007 Federal election.
In regard to Australian Workplace Agreement
Australian Workplace Agreement
Australian workplace agreements were formalized individual agreements negotiated by the boss and employee. Employers could offer "take it or leave it" AWAs as a condition of employment. They were registered by the employment advocate and did not require a dispute resolution procedure. These...
s (AWA) Brian Boyd has voiced concern many may breach OHS law following statistics released in April by the major newspapers that claim 30% of AWAs do not allow workers to have rest breaks during scheduled hours of work. He has called AWAs that breach OHS regulations as criminal and asked that WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria is the trading name of the Victorian Workcover Authority, a statutory authority of the state government of Victoria, Australia....
prosecute any employer found to have taken away this safety condition under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. “Workers are protected by occupational health and safety law. Our Victorian law says that the employer has to provide a safe system of work – and that includes decent rest breaks,” Boyd said. “Employers think they can do what they want under Howard’s laws, but they are forgetting that state-based OHS laws still call them to account.”
In May 2009 Brian Boyd was re-elected unopposed to the VTHC Secretaryship for a further 4 years.He has been a
member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions(ACTU) since 2005.
SOME BACKGROUND
Brian Boyd was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 17th of July 1951.He immigrated to Australia in 1956 with his father
(Thomas Boyd),his mother (Sarah "Sadie" Boyd née Toan),his brother Leonard "Lenny" and sister Lynne.His youngest
brother David was born in Australia.Brian grew up in the industrial Latrobe Valley, specifically Morwell where he
graduated from Morwell High School in 1969.
From 1970 to 1976 he tried various tertiary institutions before graduating from Latrobe University with a BA Dip Ed.
Between 1979 and 1991 he was married to fellow trade unionist Mary Bluett, having 3 children: Tiffany b 1981 (dec),Nicole b 1983,Rory b 1985.
In 2010 (5/6) he married longtime partner Christine Thomas.
In Dec 2010 IR academic Gordon McCaskie, overseen by Swinburne University professor Dr Peter Love, successfully completed a Masters Degree based on a biographical thesis on Brian Boyd's industrial and political life.
Boyd became world-renowned when he famously said, "John Howard is as welcome in Melbourne today as a yellow-bellied black snake at a barbecue!"