Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and labour councils. The ACTU is a member of the International Trade Union Confederation.
Founded
May 1927[1]
- Sally McManus (Secretary)
- Michele O'Neil (President)
The President of the ACTU is Michele O'Neil, who was elected on 28 July 2018. The current Secretary is Sally McManus.
The objectives of the ACTU, found in its constitution, are:
Organisation[edit]
The ACTU holds a biennial congress that is attended by approximately 800 delegates from affiliated organisations. Between congresses the ACTU is governed by an executive of 60 members: the president, the two vice-presidents, the secretary, the assistant secretaries, Trades and Labour Council representatives from each capital city and elected delegates from affiliated unions.
Current campaigns[edit]
The ACTU's main current campaigns[2] include the campaign to win paid pandemic leave for all workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the For the workers campaign[3] to oppose Commonwealth Government proposals to change Australian workplace laws, and the promotion of a Working from Home Charter.[4]
Following the 2007 Australian federal election, the ACTU's primary focus was the campaign to restore workers rights under the banner of the Your Rights at Work campaign.[5] In addition to this campaign the ACTU is also running a number of other campaigns, including workplace health and safety,[6] working with other unions on the Your Rights at Telstra campaign and supporting the Rights on Site[7] campaign.
The ACTU has also launched a service by which workers can join their applicable union directly through the ACTU. This self-titled "one stop shop" for union membership is Australian Unions.[8]
In 2008, the ACTU launched a campaign to make paid maternity leave a new national employment standard.[9]
In 2011, the ACTU launched a campaign to address the spread of casual, contract and other forms of insecure work in Australian workplaces.[10] Part of this involved an inquiry into insecure work.[11]
In 2023, the ACTU and other big unions including the Health Services Union, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union began a campaign calling for a levy to be imposed on non-union workers after the union was able to raise wages through collective bargaining.[12]
Past campaigns[edit]
In the lead up to the 2007 federal election, the ACTU campaigned actively against the Howard government's WorkChoices legislation, which included an advertising campaign[13] and public rallies.[14] This campaign was originally called "Your Rights at Work" but is now known as "Secure Jobs. Better Future"[5] and was considered a success in making industrial relations an important election issue by both marketing companies[15] and even Joe Hockey MP, the Federal Workplace Relations Minister, who said "This is the most sophisticated political plan that we have seen in Australia.".[16] One of the rallies was called Fill the "G" , attended by 50,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and broadcast to other similar rallies throughout the country.[17][18] A previous national rally had a reported attendance of 500,000 around Australia.[19][20]