Union voting is an important factor within hundreds of industries and sectors, where members depend on the accountability of union leaders Australia to represent their interests, negotiate on pay and terms, and hold fair, transparent elections to ensure members have their say.
While all union elections are important and might involve the nomination of representatives to sit on a board or decisions about whether to accept a pay deal or strike, some of the most relevant include those held by the largest and most prevalent unions, including Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) votes, with two million members and forty-two affiliated unions.
This guide provides an overview of the biggest unions in Australia and clarifies what they do and who they represent.
The history of union elections in Australia is closely linked with politics. Unions formed during the labor movement later became political parties and activism groups.
This remains the case today, with some unions like the Construction Forestry Maritime and Employees Union making public donations to specific parties and the Electrical Trades Union in Melbourne displaying prominent banners citing its political allegiances outside union offices.
Other major unions have previously announced their support for the Australian Labour Party, which was established as a function of labor groups originally created in 1891. Indeed, labor parties, which later became unions, have contested local, regional, and federal seats for over 130 years, demonstrating why big union elections are important not only for their members but also because of the role unions play in political voting and elections.
Well-established unions with significant membership numbers are often perceived as holding the most important elections, given the impact these can have across the sector and how union activity is perceived from a political standpoint.
Here are some of the Australian unions, with summaries of the industries and workforces they represent:
As mentioned, the ACTU is an overarching organization that brings affiliated unions across Australia together. Over its history, the alliance has been instrumental in some of the most public workplace legislation reforms.
The ETU, formed in 1919, has 65,000 members and focuses on negotiating pay raises for members and advocating for safe working practices. The majority of members are electricians, electrical workers, or apprentices.
The UWU is a large, influential union representing health professionals and ambulance workers. It covers forty-five separate industries and has 150,000 members, including those working in hospitality, early-years education, warehousing, security, agriculture, market research, and defense.
Focused on public sector entities, universities, and workforces within Government-Owned Enterprises, the CPSU is a national union with more than 120,000 members. It represents members employed or working on casual or temporary contracts.
The TWU welcomes members who work within the transport industry. It is the largest union representing the transport industry, covering aviation, road transport, logistics, construction, couriers, waste, and retail transport professionals.
Finally, the RTBU is a major union representing bus, rail, and tram network members. It has around 35,000 members and is a federal union with separate regional branches involved in democratic representation, fair process for members, and freight and passenger transport matters.
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