“Pig Iron Bob” and the 1938 Port Kembla strike
The 1938 Dalfram dispute involved dock workers at Port Kembla in Australia striking & refusing to load iron on a ship bound for Japan in 1938.
1936 Maritime Strike by Torres Strait Islander Workers
Learn about the maritime strike in the Torres Strait Islands in 1936 where workers in the pearl fishing industry took a stand against racism.
1963: The ACTU backs the campaign for wage equality for First Nations workers
About the different union campaigns for wage equality for First Nations workers in Australia in the 1960s.
21 April 1856 – Melbourne Stonemason’s take action for the 8-Hour Day
On 21 April in 1856, building workers in Melbourne took strike action and won the eight-hour day as a general industry standard.
A Short History of Unions taking Action for Equal Pay!
31 August is Equal Pay Day-Australian unions have a long history of campaigning for gender equality & for the economic independence of women workers.
Australia’s First Nation-wide Union Meeting and the Foundation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions ACTU
The first nation-wide meeting of unions in Australia took place in October 1879. It was called the Intercolonial Trade Union Congress.
Emma Miller: Remembering a Union Hero
Learn more about legendary union activist, leader and organiser Emma Miller, who was born on the 26th of June 1839.
Henry Lawson: The Workers’ Poet
Commemorating Australian poet, Henry Lawson, who in the late nineteenth century was a superstar of working-class poetry.
How Unions helped build Medicare
The history of how unions helped create Medicare, the national public health system in Australia, introduced in 1984.
How Unions helped build Superannuation
Unions have a long history of campaigning for superannuation.There were union campaigns for retirement schemes as far back as the 1920s.
How Unions Won the Right to Annual Leave
A short history of how unions in Australia campaigned over the decades for the right to annual leave.
How Unions Won the Weekend
The story of how workers came together in their unions, took actions, and won the important right to a weekend and the 40 hour work week.
Jennie George becomes the first woman elected ACTU President
About Jennie George - the first woman to be elected as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Maritime Union of Australia MUA: Here to Stay! The 1998 Waterfront Dispute
Read about the infamous 1998 Waterfront dispute with the dockworkers, Maritime Union of Australia and Patrick Stevedores.
Noonkanbah Protest
An inspiring example of collective action by Aboriginal workers and their allies against powerful corporate interests who wanted to trample their rights for profit.
Remembering Bob Hawke
Remembering former Prime Minister of Australia and President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions ACTU - legendary Bob Hawke.
Remembering the Pilbara Strike, 1946-1949
On 1 May 1946, Aboriginal pastoral workers in the Pilbara walked off the stations. The strike that began on that day lasted for three years. The Pilbara Strike was a heroic and inspiring collective action by Aboriginal workers. It is a moment of history every unionist should know about. This is the story of three years of determined struggle by Aboriginal workers against racism and for respect and self-determination.
Stories of Hope & Change: Muriel Heagney
This is the story of Muriel Heagney, an extraordinary unionist who led a 60-year long campaign for equal pay for working women.
The 1891 Shearers’ Strike
A Sheep Shearer’s strike began in Queensland in 1891 when employers sought to introduce union-busting contracts and a reduction in pay rates.
The 1916 Campaign against Conscription
Learn about the union-led campaign against conscription in World World War One as told by the Australian Trade Union Institute.
The 1957 Palm Island Strike
Learn about the leaders of a strike in 1957 by Aboriginal people on Palm Island demanding to be treated with dignity, respect & equality.
The 1972 Equal Pay Case
Brief history of the union campaign in Australia for equal pay for women which led to the “equal pay for work of equal value” decision in 1972.
The ACTU’s 1941 Equal Pay Conference
The Australian Council of Trade Unions ACTU campaign for equal pay for women workers started with a conference in 1941.
The First Sydney Mardi Gras – and the Hidden History of LGBTIQA+ Unionists!
Have you heard the story of the trade union contribution to the struggle for equality? Read about the hidden history of LGBTIQA+ and unionists.
The Gurindji Strike, 1966
Learn about the Wave Hill walk off and strike in 1966 by the Gurindji people who fought for award wages, land rights and self-determination.
The Harvester Judgement and the Basic Wage
In 1907 the Commonwealth Conciliation & Arbitration Court delivered the famous Harvester Judgement enforcing a basic rate of pay.
The Metal Workers win the 38-hour week
On 8 December 1981, unionists in the metal industry voted to end a long industrial campaign, and won the 38-hour week.
The Origins of May Day
The first of May has long been a day of celebration for the international workers’ movement. Why do we celebrate May Day?
Union solidarity with East Timor
In 1999 the Australian union movement sprung into action to show solidarity with the people of East Timor by protesting.
West Gate Bridge Collapse in 1970
Learn about one of the worst industrial disasters in Australia’s history: the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne in 1970.
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