Maritime Union of Australia#WWF Film Unit

File:Waterside Workers of Australia Banner.jpg

{{main article|Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia}}

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,{{cite book |last=Bull |first=Tasnor Ivan |date=1998 |title=Life on the waterfront: an autobiography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wl1cHQAACAAJ |location=Sydney |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |page=130 |isbn=07322-6792-7}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2224 |title=Melbourne Wharf Laborers' Union, Victoria |last=Tout-Smith |first=D. |date=2003 |publisher=Museum Victoria Collections |access-date= 25 April 2016}} 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 licence, 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0899b.htm|title=Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia (i) (1907–1991)|work=Australian Trade Union Archives|accessdate=23 July 2015}}

{{main article|Seamen's Union of Australia}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0761b.htm |title=Seamens Union of Australia |last=Smith |first=Bruce A. |date=20 April 2001 |website=Australian Trade Union Archives |access-date=24 September 2011}}

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.

{{main article|1998 Australian 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.

On 6 August 2015, just before midnight, Hutchison Ports, located in Sydney and Brisbane, sacked 97 workers by text message and email – 57 in Sydney and 40 in Brisbane.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-12/maritime-union-launches-legal-action-in-federal-court/6692064|title=Maritime Union launches legal action over Hutchison Ports sackings|date=12 August 2015|work=ABC News|access-date=23 December 2017|language=en-AU}} This led to one of the longest running community assemblies in modern times.

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

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. 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".

In late 2015, the MUA and CFMEU entered into merger talks to create "Australia's most powerful union".

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

The Fair Work Commission approved the merger in March 2018.

Notable officials include:

• Billy Hughes – Secretary, Sydney Wharf Labourers Union and Waterside Workers' Federation
• Big Jim Healy – General Secretary, Waterside Workers' Federation 1937–1961
• Eliot V. Elliott – Federal Secretary, Seamens Union of Australia 1941–1978
• John Coombs – National Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia 1993–2000
• Paddy Crumlin – National Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia 2000–present / President, International Transport Workers' Federation – 2010–present

From 2009 to 2014, the MUA sponsored the Blake Prize for Human Justice.{{cite web | title=Blake Art Award | website=Maritime Union of Australia | date=26 August 2009 | url=https://www.mua.org.au/news/human-justice-blake-art-award | access-date=16 September 2021}}{{cite web | title=The 63rd Blake Prize winners | website=UNSW | date=15 December 2014 | url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2014/12/the-63rd-blake-prize-winners | access-date=16 September 2021}}

{{Reflist|refs=

The Sunday Telegraph, 23 March 2008

The Australian, 2 April 2008

Australian Maritime Digest, July 2009

The Weekend Australian Financial Review, 12 April 2008

}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite news|author=Milne, Glenn|title=Secret union deals|work=The Sunday Telegraph|date=23 March 2008|page=11|ref=CITEREFMilne2008}}
• {{cite news|author=Norington, Brad|title=MUA bid for Libs' secrets|work=The Australian|date=2 April 2008|pages=1, 8|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/mua-bid-for-libs-secrets/story-e6frg6nf-1111115950458|accessdate=3 January 2010|ref=CITEREFNorington2008}}
• {{cite news|author=Unattributed|title=Workplace relations laws should apply equally to all|work=The Weekend Australian Financial Review|date=12 April 2008|page=62}}
• {{cite news|author=Unattributed|title=Maritime Union Backs 'Revitalisation' Policy|work=Australian Maritime Digest|issue=181|date=July 2009|page=10|url=http://www.aama.asn.au/download/AMD%20July%202009.pdf|accessdate=3 January 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024071530/http://www.aama.asn.au/download/AMD%20July%202009.pdf|archivedate=24 October 2009}}

{{Refend}}

{{Portal|Organised labour}}

• {{Official|http://www.mua.org.au/}}
• [http://workers.labor.net.au/6/c_historicalfeature_margo.html A History of Struggle on the Wharves] (Workers Online)
• [http://www.atua.org.au/ptta/037.html Chart of Maritime and Stevedoring Unions]
• {{cite web|url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/organisation/waterside_workers_federation|title=Waterside Workers' Federation|accessdate=11 October 2015|author=Lisa Milner|date=2014|work=Dictionary of Sydney|publisher=Dictionary of Sydney Trust}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1993 establishments in Australia

Category:2018 disestablishments in Australia

Category:Australian Council of Trade Unions

Category:Defunct trade unions of Australia

Category:Maritime history of Australia

Category:Maritime trade unions

Category:Trade unions disestablished in 2018

Category:Trade unions established in 1993

Category:Trade unions in Australia