Maritime Union of Australia

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)
Full name Maritime Union of Australia
Founded 1993
Members 13,000 (2011)
Affiliation ACTU, ALP, ITF
Key people

Paddy Crumlin, National Secretary
Mick Doleman, Deputy National Secretary

Warren Smith and
Ian Bray Assistant National Secretaries
Office location Sydney, NSW
Country Australia
Website www.mua.org.au

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) covers waterside workers, seafarers, port workers, professional divers, and office workers associated with Australian ports. The MUA was formed in 1993 with merger of the Seamen's Union of Australia and the Waterside Workers Federation of Australia.[1]

In 2011 the MUA had about 13,000 members. It is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Labor Party and the International Transport Workers Federation. Since 2000 Paddy Crumlin has been National Secretary of the MUA and since 2010 he has been President of the ITF. He also holds the position of chair of the Dockers Section.

Since late 2015, MUA and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union have been in merger talks, which if successful would create 'Australia's most powerful union'.[2][3]

History

Waterside Workers Federation

An early banner of the Sydney Branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation.

The Waterside Workers Federation of Australia traces its roots to the formation on the Australian waterfront in September 1872 of two unions in Sydney, the Labouring Men's Union of Circular Quay and the West Sydney Labouring Men's Association,[4] which merged ten years later to form the Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union. In 1884 the Melbourne Wharf Labourers' Union was formed with the support of Melbourne Trades Hall representatives, after shipowners refused to allow waterfront workers to attend Eight-hour Day celebrations.[5] With Federation in 1901 and the impending introduction of an arbitration system, the national Waterside Workers Federation of Australia was formed in 1902 under the leadership of Billy Hughes.

The Communist Party of Australia was formed in October 1920, and achieved some influence in the trade union movement, especially in New South Wales. Though its influence had dwindled to an insignificant sect by the mid-1920s, it kept positions in particular trade unions, including the Waterside Workers Federation. The union was regarded as militant and disruptive to the economy, and has suffered numerous attempts to suppress its activities. In 1928, the Nationalist government of Stanley Bruce enacted the Transport Workers Act 1928 requiring workers to have a license, known as the "dog collar", to work on the wharves. Employment of non-union labour and members of the Permanent & Casual Wharf Labourers Union almost killed off the Waterside Workers Federation.

In 1950 the WWF absorbed its industrial opposition the Permanent & Casual Wharf Labourers Union of Australia and in 1991 it amalgamated with the Australian Foremen Stevedore Association but retained the name Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia.[1]

Seamen's Union

The Federated Seamens Union of Australasia (SUA) was formed in 1876 by the amalgamation of the Sydney Seamen's Union and the Melbourne Seamen's Union, adopting the name Seamen's Union of Australia in 1906.[6]

From December 1935 to February 1936 there was a long strike against an unsatisfactory award and poor working conditions. The strike failed, and the union was left divided and crippled.

1998 waterfront dispute

In 1998 the Maritime Union of Australia was involved in a waterfront dispute when Patrick Corporation attempted to sack 1400 waterfront workers across Australia and introduce non-union contract labour.

Influence with the Rudd Government

In 2009 the union ran a campaign entitled Time for a Sea Change in Australian Shipping calling on the government to revitalize Australian shipping by giving tax incentives for the industry to invest in new ships, providing training for new seafarers, and introducing pro-union laws.[7] According to Glenn Milne, a Union Strategy document which was leaked in March 2008 reveals the union also wants a return to pattern bargaining.[8]

At the same time, in April 2008 the union began pushing for access to Howard Government strategy documents, which it believes will show ministers conspired with Patrick Corporation to smash the union.[9] The timing of this move was potentially damaging for the union as Julia Gillard was in the process of talking to employers, in an attempt to rewrite the Howard Government's workplace relations system. One editorial in the Australian Financial Review said that Paddy Crumlin had done the workplace relations debate a "big favour" by trying to "revive the ghosts of the [1998 waterfront dispute]" because the union's power could show Labor that industries such as cafes, restaurants and accommodation needed flexibility but were being "shut out of consideration because their lobbies are less powerful".[10]

Merger 2015/16 with CFMEU

Since late 2015, the MUA and CFMEU have been in merger talks to create "Australia's most powerful union".[2][3]

On 29 February 2016, at the MUA national conference, delegates voted unanimously in favour of a merger with the CFMEU.[11][12]

Notable Officials

Notable officials include:

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Waterside Workers Federation of Australia (i) (1907 - 1991)". Australian Trade Union Archives. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "CFMEU and MUA enter merger talks to create 'Australia's most powerful union' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  3. 1 2 Telford, Ashleigh (2015-10-16). "MUA and CFMEU Merger Talks Underway - Maritime Union of Australia". Mua.org.au. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  4. ↑ Bull, Tasnor Ivan (1998). Life on the waterfront: an autobiography. Sydney: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 130. ISBN 07322 6792 7.
  5. ↑ Tout-Smith, D. (2003). "Melbourne Wharf Laborers' Union, Victoria". Museum Victoria Collections. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Smith, Bruce A. (20 April 2001). "Seamens Union of Australia". Australian Trade Union Archives. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  7. ↑ Australian Maritime Digest, July 2009
  8. ↑ The Sunday Telegraph, 23 March 2008
  9. ↑ The Australian, 2 April 2008
  10. ↑ The Weekend Australian Financial Review, 12 April 2008
  11. ↑ "MUA to begin merger negotiations with CFMEU | News". Fullyloaded.com.au. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  12. ↑ "Maritime Union of Australia delegates vote in favour of merging with Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2016-03-20.

References

  • Milne, Glenn (23 March 2008). "Secret union deals". The Sunday Telegraph. p. 11. 
  • Norington, Brad (2 April 2008). "MUA bid for Libs' secrets". The Australian. pp. 1, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2010. 
  • Unattributed (12 April 2008). "Workplace relations laws should apply equally to all". The Weekend Australian Financial Review. p. 62. 
  • Unattributed (July 2009). "Maritime Union Backs 'Revitalisation' Policy" (PDF). Australian Maritime Digest (181). p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010. 

External links

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