Australian Workers' Union (1904-). Formerly the Amalgamated Workers' Union (1891-1904).
Objectives - To regulate and protect the conditions of labor, the relations between workers and between workers and employers; to regulate conditions on the conduct of the trade, business, or industry of the members; to promote the general and material welfare of the members; to provide legal assistance to members; to establish a newspaper; to assist kindred organizations in upholding the rights and privileges of workers and generally to assist in the emancipation of labor; to establish One Big Union for Australian workers; to abolish the contract system in all industries; to replace the present competitive system by collective ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange; to fight for the six-hour day; to oppose the Communist Party of Australia in all its aims; to oppose any body or persons which advocates or encourages the overthrow by force or violence of the established Government of the Commonwealth or of a state or of any civilised country or of organized government; to uphold the authority of constitutional government.
Publicists - Refer to The Australian Worker.
Notes: In 1891 the Queensland Shearers' Union (formed 1886), the Queensland Labourers' Union (formed 1888) and other bush unions amalgamated to form the Amalgamated Workers' Union. The Australian Workers' Union was formed in the southern colonies in 1894 by the amalgamation of the Australian Shearers' Union (formed 1886) and the General Laborers' Union (formed 1890). In 1904 the Amalgamated Workers' Union merged with the southern Australian Workers' Union to form Queensland branches of that union. Some former branches of the Amalgamated Workers' Union (especially in north Queensland) did not participate in the 1904 merger and in 1910 they amalgamated with the Amalgamated Workers' Association of Queensland. In 1913 the latter union itself amalgamated with the Australian Workers' Union Other Queensland unions amalgamated with the A.W.U. The Union is affiliated with the Australian Labor Party. It is not affiliated with the Trades and Labor Council of Queensland. Contains material from other states.