Trade Unionism in 2002

In 2002, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) celebrated its 75th anniversary. During this year, the peak council made it clear that its two key priorities were; first, to rebuild the union movement by strengthening workplace organisation and growing membership and, second, to put in place strategies to enable workers to better cope with the dual pressures of work and family. Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Abbott, spent much of 2002 trying to convince employers to go to "war" with the union movement and throughout the year, the Royal Commission into the construction industry continued hearing evidence amid union accusations that it was simply pushing the government's anti-union agenda. There were some interesting internal machinations within Australian unions in 2002, none more so than in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) Victorian branch. This article reviews Australian trade union matters in 2002