The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), officially registered as the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing, and Kindred Industries Union, is an Australian

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. The AMWU represents a broad range of workers in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, and is affiliated with the

Australian Council of Trade Unions The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated trade union, unions and eight t ...

as well as the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...

. The AMWU is federally organised into six state branches. Members in the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

are covered under the

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

branch, while members in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

are covered under the

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

branch. Each state branch has its own sub-committee, and there is also an executive committee at the national level.

History

The Amalgamated Metal Workers Union (AMWU) was formed in 1972 with the amalgamation of three metal trade unions: the Boilermakers and Blacksmiths Society of Australia (BBS), the

Sheet Metal Working Industrial Union of Australia Sheet or Sheets may refer to: * Bed sheet, a rectangular piece of cloth used as bedding * Sheet of paper, a flat, very thin piece of paper * Sheet metal, a flat thin piece of metal * Sheet (sailing), a line, cable or chain used to control the c ...

(SMWU), and the

Amalgamated Engineering Union The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History ...

(AEU). At its formation, the AMWU had a membership of 171,000, making it the largest organisation in Australia by membership. In 1979, the

Federated Shipwrights and Ship Constructors Union of Australia The Federated Shipwrights' and Ship Constructors' Association of Australia was an Australian trade union which existed between 1916 and 1976. It represented shipwrights and boatbuilders in the shipbuilding and ship repair industries, as well as s ...

amalgamated with the AMWU, which changed its name to the Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights Union (AMWSU). When the

Federated Moulders’ (Metals) Union The Federated Moulders' (Metals) Union of Australia (FMMUA) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1899 and 1983. It represented moulders – skilled tradesmen who fabricated the moulds for casting metal products in foundries. In ...

amalgamated in 1983, the union's name changed slightly to the Amalgamated Metals Foundry & Shipwrights’ Union, but in 1985 it reverted to being the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union. By 1987, the union's membership had declined slightly to 163,400. During the 1980s, the AMWU played a pivotal role in securing the support of the left wing of the Australian union movement for the

Prices and Incomes Accord The Prices and Incomes Accord (also known as The Accord, the ALP–ACTU Accord, or ACTU–Labor Accord) was a series of agreements between the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), in effect from ...

, which involved unions agreeing to restrict their demands for wage increases in exchange for the federal government implementing policies to advance the 'social wage', including universal health insurance, investment in education, and social welfare. In 1991, the AMWU amalgamated with the

Association of Draughting Supervisory & Technical Employees The Association of Draughting Supervisory and Technical Employees (ADSTE), originally known as the Association of Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Draughtsmen of Australia (AAESDA), was an Australian trade union which existed between 1915 a ...

(ADSTE) to create the Metals and Engineering Workers’ Union. Two years later, a further amalgamation with the

Vehicle Builders Employees’ Federation of Australia The Vehicle Builders' Employees' Federation of Australia (VBEF) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1863 and 1993. It was an industrial union which represented all production employees in the vehicle industry and automotive parts ...

resulted in the Automotive Metals & Engineering Union. In 1994, the union merged with the Confectionery Workers' and Food Preservers' Union, itself a recent amalgamation of the

Food Preservers' Union of Australia The Food Preservers' Union of Australia (FPUA) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1898 and 1992. It represented a broad range of production workers in the food processing industry, including many female members. History Around 18 ...

and the

Confectionery Workers' Union of Australia The Confectionery Workers' Union of Australia (CWUA) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1925 and 1992. Until 1986, it was known as the Federated Confectioners' Association of Australia (FCA). Throughout its existence, it represent ...

, to form the Automotive Food Metals and Engineering Union. Finally, the

Printing and Kindred Industries Union The Printing and Kindred Industries Union (PKIU) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1966 and 1995. It represented production workers in the printing, printing industry, including compositing, typesetting, letterpress printing, l ...

amalgamated to form the printing division of the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing, and Kindred Industries Union. During the 1990s and 2000s, membership of the AMWU declined dramatically, reflecting the rapid decline of the manufacturing sector in Australia, falling from 200,000 in 1995 to 157,000 in 2005. Losses then accelerated, with membership more than halving over the following decade to 68,008 in 2017.

National Secretaries

:1973: Jack Garland :1981: Jack Kidd :1988: George Campbell :1996: Doug Cameron :2008: Dave Oliver :2012: Paul Bastian :2020: Steve Murphy

Political Activity

The AMWU is one of the most powerful unions in the

Labor Left The Labor Left (LL), also known as the Progressive Left, Socialist Left or simply the Left, is one of the two major political factions within the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is nationally characterised by social progressivism and democra ...

faction of the

. During the

2010 Australian federal election The 2010 Australian federal election was held on Saturday, 21 August 2010 to elect members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a second term against the ...

the

CFMEU The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) is Australia's largest Trade union, union in the construction, forestry, wikt:maritime, maritime, Textile manufacturing, textile, Clothing industry, clothing and Shoemaking, footw ...

and AMWU donated a total of $60,000 to

the Greens The Greens or Greens may refer to: Current political parties *The Greens – The Green Alternative, Austria *Australian Greens, also known as ''The Greens'' * Greens of Andorra * The Greens (Benin) *The Greens (Bulgaria) * Greens of Bosnia and He ...

. The

South Australian South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which includes some of the most arid parts ...

branch of the AMWU was previously affiliated with

Labor Unity The Labor Right (LR), also known as Labor Forum, Labor Unity or simply Unity, is one of the two major political factions within the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It is nationally characterised by social democratic to Third Way economic policies ...

, but has been affiliated with

since 2019. In WA, the AMWU allies with the

United Workers Union The United Workers Union (UWU) is an Australian trade union. Described as the biggest blue-collar union in Australia, the UWU covers more than 150,000 workers within over 45 industries, including warehousing, defence, hospitality, health, disabil ...

in forming the majority left faction.

AMWU-Affiliated Members of Parliament

Multiple

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

politicians are affiliated with the AMWU. These include:

Western Australia (as of 2025)

Queensland

Shannon Fentiman Shannon Maree Fentiman is an Australian politician. She has been the Labor member for Waterford in the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 2015. Fentiman has previously served as the Minister for Women and Minister for Health, Mental Health a ...

is affiliated with the AMWU.

South Australia

South Australia has no current parliamentarians affiliated with the AMWU. Former MP

Jon Gee Jonathan Peter Gee (born 24 May 1959) is a British Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2014 state election, representing Napier until 2018 and Taylor thereafter. Before his e ...

was affiliated with the AMWU.

Federal Parliament

References

External links

*
Australian Trade Union Archive entry for AMWU
{{Authority control 1972 establishments in Australia Manufacturing trade unions Trade unions affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions Trade unions established in 1972 Trade unions in Australia