Background on the AWU

The AWU symbol for the early 1900s

So you want to know about The Australian Workers' Union?

The Australian Workers' Union is the oldest and one of the largests unions in Australia.

It was also the platform from where the Australian Labor Party was born. For more detail on the history of the union click here.

The union is a blue-collar union. It represents workers in many industries, just some of them include aviation, civil construction, steel, aluminium, oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, pastoral, service workers and the public sector.

The AWU is dedicated to protecting and fighting for the rights of workers and representing their interests including wages and conditions, safety in the workplace and securing entitlements.

The AWU is a national union made up of 11 Branches with a presence in all major cities and regional centres.

It is also Australia's largest union covering workers outside Australia's major cities.

Here are some facts and figures:

• The AWU has 46 regional offices;

• It has more organisers based outside capital cities than in;

• The AWU was founded in 1886 in Ballarat;

• The original name of the AWU was the Australiasian Shearers' Union

• It has the widest coverage of employees of any union in the country