Transport Workers Union of Australia
| Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) |
|
|---|---|
| purpose | labor union |
| Chair: | Tony Sheldon |
| Establishment date: | 1906 |
| Number of members: | 80,000 (2011) |
| Seat : |
Sydney , Australia
|
| Website: | http://www.twu.com.au/ |
The Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) (German: Australian Union of Transport Workers ) organized around 90,000 workers in Australian road, airport transport, bus and taxi traffic and waste management in 2011 . The mechanics of these industries are organized in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union .
organization structure
The organizational structure is based on the so-called organize model. This means that the TWU takes care of the acquisition, development and enforcement of the interests of its members on a broad basis. Mainly full-time employees are employed, who are supposed to form a strong network in order to set up the union work on a broad basis and to inform and involve the members comprehensively. The TWU is therefore set up in five regional areas (New South Wales / Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria / Tasmania, Western Australia). Against the organize model stands against the so-called service model.
The TWU is a member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers' Federation .
history
From 1880 there were isolated small organizations representing the interests of transport workers, for example milk drivers and other transport drivers. For the development of a large union, the transport work with horses at that time was too small in scope as sustainable work, spontaneous and accidental.
In 1906, the first major transportation union , the Federated Carters and Drivers' Industrial Union , was formed, which is considered to be the forerunner of the TWU. With the development of Australian industry and the construction of automobiles and trucks, motorized transportation became a competitor to the railroad.
In 1925 the Federated Carters and Drivers' Industrial Union , Trolley, Draymen and Carters' Union , Motor Transport and Chauffeurs' Association intended to form a new union, which was achieved with the Amalgamated Road Transport Workers Union , which was registered throughout Australia in 1928. The further development of the TWU was held up by the Great Depression and unemployment from 1929 to 1930.
After the end of the Great Depression , oil shipments through Australia grew particularly rapidly and truck drivers were needed. Airport transportation was added in 1937 and the name was changed to Transport Workers' Union of Australia in 1938 .
During World War II , transport workers had to work longer hours and drivers received higher payments. After the end of this war, the transportation industry continued to grow and was dominated by Ansett Australia , TNT , Mayne Nickless, Brambles and Alltrans / Comet.
In the 1960s, truck drivers earned sustainable wages. The control and operation of motor vehicles became more complicated, the freight heavier and the loading more complicated. This required better training and productivity increased. Due to the development of demand in the transport sector, higher wage increases could be achieved than in other sectors until the 1970s.
The 1982–1983 recession in Australia restructured the transportation industry, and transportation companies shifted the responsibility and risks of deliveries to drivers. To reduce costs, the transportation and logistics were computerized , which also had an impact on the drivers.
In 1987 the TWU merged with the Motor Transport and Chauffeurs Association , which is responsible for the private bus business in Victoria .
When the Conservative government of the Liberal Party of Australia by John Howard in 1996 came to power, they enacted the Workplace Relations Act 1996 , which meant that even non-union truck drivers were busy. As a result, the number of members fell, which only rose again in 2004 when the TWU carried out numerous campaigns for cooperation with other unions.
literature
- Bradley Bowden: Driving Force: The History of the Transport Workers' Union of Australia 1883-1992 , Allen & Unwin, Sydney 1993.
- Mark Bray and Malcolm Rimmer: Delivering the Goods: A History of the NSW Transport Workers Union 1898-1986 , Allen & Unwin, Sydney 1987.
- TWU NSW Branch: Proud To Be A TWU Member: Transport Workers Tell Their Stories , 1999.
- John Kellett: A Fighting Union: A History of the Queensland Branch of the Transport Workers' Union, 1907-2000 , Queensland 2001.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Transport Workers Union of Australia : About , accessed March 4, 2011
- ^ History Museum of Learning : Transport Workers Union of Australia: History , in English, accessed March 4, 2011