AWU national leadership re-elected

28 January 2009

The national leadership team of the Australian Workers' Union - the National Secretary, Paul Howes; the National President, Bill Ludwig; and Assistant National Secretary, Ben Swan, have been re-elected, unopposed for a four year term.

"On behalf of the National Leadership of the AWU I want to thank our members for the trust placed in us to lead this great union for the next four years," Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary, said today.

" Our union's national conference meets next week in Queensland where we will adopt an agenda for growth - even in these hard economic times,"

" I welcome the ability to take our union of 135,000 members forward in the spirit of unity and strength we have developed over the last decade.

New opportunities to work with members in the face of this crisis

" The AWU believes we have great opportunities to work with members across the nation to overcome the current global crisis now washing up on our shores.

" The AWU national leadership is hopeful that the great Labor values that the Rudd-Gillard Team has taken into government will deliver the support and security that working people need from their leaders as we go through 2009 .

" We want to co-operate with Canberra to secure jobs and new opportunities for AWU members everywhere," Paul Howes said.

" The 300 delegates and observers attending our national conference next week know that our long history shows we can overcome these crises and find ways to secure good new jobs and go forward together ."