The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), officially registered as the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing, and Kindred Industries Union, is the oldest Australian trade union established in 1852 as a branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. The AMWU represents a broad range of workers in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions as well as the Australian Labor Party.
The AMWU is federally organised into six state branches. Members in the Australian Capital Territory are covered under the New South Wales branch, while members in the Northern Territory are covered under the Queensland branch. Each state branch has its own sub-committee, and there is also an executive committee at the national level.
History
left|thumb|300px|AMWU members protest then-[[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister John Howard's IR reforms]]
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 (SMWU), and the Amalgamated Engineering Union (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 amalgamated with the AMWU, which changed its name to the Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights Union (AMWSU). When the Federated Moulders’ (Metals) Union 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, 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 (ADSTE) to create the Metals and Engineering Workers’ Union. Two years later, a further amalgamation with the Vehicle Builders Employees’ Federation of Australia 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 and the Confectionery Workers' Union of Australia, to form the Automotive Food Metals and Engineering Union. Finally, the Printing and Kindred Industries Union 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.
National Secretaries
:1973: Jack Garland
:1981: Jack Kidd
:1988: George Campbell
:1996: Doug Cameron
:2008: Dave Oliver
:2012: Paul Bastian
:2020: Steve Murphy
State Secretaries
:New South Wales & ACT: Brad Pidgeon (since 2024)
:Victoria: Tony Mavromatis (since 2018)
:Queensland & NT: Rowan Webb (since 2012)
:Tasmania: Jacob Batt (since 2024)
:South Australia: Stuart Gordon (since 2024)
:Western Australia: Steve McCartney (since 2000)
Political Activity
The AMWU is one of the most powerful and organised unions in the Labor Left faction of the Australian Labor Party. During the 2010 Australian federal election the CFMEU and AMWU donated a total of $60,000 to the Greens.
The AMWU is a Democratic Socialist organisation.
The South Australian branch of the AMWU was previously affiliated with Labor Unity, but has been affiliated with Labor Left since 2019 after the collapse of the Vehicle builders division as result of the collapse of Holden automotive manufacturing in 2017. Peter Bauer challenged then State Secretary John Camillo to a ballot for State Secretary and Deputy State Secretary which Bauer ran on a ticket with now State Secretary Stuart Gordon. Camillo subsequently withdrew from the ballot citing his "diagnosis of colon cancer", but insists he could have won the ballot. Bauer thereafter withdrew from Labor Unity and affiliated with Labor Left bringing State Labor Convention delegate numbers to ~50-50 between the Left and Right Factions.
In WA, the AMWU allies with the United Workers Union in forming the majority left faction.
In 2023, the Victorian Branch of the AMWU hosted the Cuban ambassador and young Cuban activists.
In 2025 the National division of the AMWU started a campaign calling for the end of the Capital Gains Discount (CGT) and Negative Gearing and the creation of modular housing to be manufactured in Australia using union labor.
AMWU-Affiliated Members of Parliament
Multiple Labor politicians are affiliated with the AMWU. These include:
Western Australia (as of 2025)
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Seat
!Other Position(s)
!Ref.
|-
|Don Punch
|MLA for Bunbury
|Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Water, Minister for Climate Resilience, and Minister for South West
|
|-
|Mark Folkard
|MLA for Mindarie
|
|
|-
|Rhys Williams
|MLA for Mandurah
|
|
|-
|Stephen Dawson
|MLC for Mining and Pastoral
|Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Ports, Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Minister for Science, Minister for Medical Research, and Minister for the Kimberley.
|
|-
|Katrina Stratton
|MLC for South West
|
|
South Australia
Former fitter Hilton Gumbys is a Labor member of the Legislative Council, elected at the March 2026 State election.
Former MP Jon Gee was affiliated with the AMWU.
Federal Parliament
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Seat
!Other notes
!Ref.
|-
|Jenny McAllister
|Senator for New South Wales
|
|
|-
|Tim Ayres
|Senator for New South Wales
|Minister for Industry and Innovation; Minister for Science
|
|-
|Ellie Whiteaker
|Senator for Western Australia
|
|
|-
|Nita Green
|Senator for Queensland
|
|
|-
|Anne Urquhart
|Senator for Tasmania
|
|
|}
Further reading
- Reeves, Andrew and Andrew Dettmer (eds.) Organise, educate, control: the AMWU in Australia, 1852–2012. Clayton, Victoria: Monash University Publishing, 2013. .
References
External links
- Australian Trade Union Archive entry for AMWU