The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the peak national body representing workers in Australia. It is a council of 46 affiliated unions and represents about 1.8 million workers. The ACTU is the most visible aspect of the Australian labour movement.

The ACTU was formed in 1927. This makes the ACTU one of the earliest attempts by trade unions to apply the principles of One Big Union earlier explored by more radical syndicalist unions like the CNT or revolutionary industrial unions like the IWW. The ACTU's Australian trade union precursors include state labour councils like the Victorian Trades Hall Council (originating in 1856 as the Melbourne Trades Hall Committee), the Sydney Trades and Labor Council (formed in 1870) and the Inter-Colonial Trade Union Congress (formed in 1879).

The ACTU and Labour Councils have often united Australian working class opinion behind certain initiatives like the 8 hour day. The ACTU retains a close relationship with the Australian Labor Party, former ACTU President Bob Hawke went on to become the leader of the ALP and then Prime Minister of Australia.

The current ACTU President is Sharan Burrow and its Secretary is Greg Combet .

Current member organisations

• Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia
• Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union
• Australian Education Union
• Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers
• Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association
• Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
• Australian Maritime Officers Union
• Australian Nursing Federation
• Australian Professional Footballers' Association
• Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation
• Australian Services Union
• Australian Workers Union
• Australian Writers' Guild
• Blind Workers Union of Victoria
• Breweries & Bottleyards Employees Industrial Union of Workers WA
• Civil Air Operations Officers Association of Australia
• Club Managers Association Australia
• Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia
• Community and Public Sector Union
• Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
• Finance Sector Union
• Flight Attendants Association of Australia - Domestic/Regional Division
• Flight Attendants' Association of Australia - International Division
• Funeral and Allied Industries Union of NSW
• Health Services Union
• Independent Education Union of Australia
• Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
• Maritime Union of Australia
• Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
• Medical Scientists Association of Victoria
• National Tertiary Education Union
• National Union of Workers
• New South Wales Nurses' Association
• Police Federation of Australia
• Rail, Tram and Bus Union
• Rugby League Professionals Association
• Salaried Pharmacists Association of WA Union of Workers
• Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association
• Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia
• Transport Workers Union
• Union of Christmas Island Workers
• United Firefighters Union of Australia
• Victorian Psychologists Association Incorporated
• Western Australian Prison Officers Union of Workers
• Woolclassers Association of Australia

See also

• 1998 Australian waterfront dispute
• Arbitration
• Australian Industrial Relations Commission
• Australian labour law
• Australian workplace agreement
• Collective bargaining
• Common law contract (industrial relations)
• Compulsory arbitration
• Dog-collar act
• Employer association
• Enterprise bargaining agreement
• Federal award
• Industrial union
• Picket
• Protected industrial action
• Scab
• State award
• Trades Hall
• Trade Practices Act
• Unprotected industrial action
• List of unregistered Australian unions
• Workplace Relations Act 1996

External link

• ACTU website