The Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union, originally called the Australasian Federated Butchers Employees' Union, was formed in 1905 from a number of smaller organisations, including the Brisbane Butchers Employes' Union Covering skilled and unskilled workers in all sectors of the Australian meat processing industry, the AMIEU became one of Australia's most powerful industrial unions In Queensland it was involved in many bitter disputes, including the Townsville meatworkers' strike of 1918-19 and the 1946 meat industry strike.
Objectives - To uphold the rights of organization of labour and to improve, protect and foster the best interests of its members; to improve their cultural and living standards; to protect the interests of workers in the regulation of conditions and labour; to secure socialisation of industry, production, distribution and exchange; to promote industrial peace and settle disputes; to combine with other unions and organizations with similar objectives; to assist in establishment of labor newspapers and broadcasting and television stations and to maintain a union journal; to provide benefits for members.