The History of the AWU by William Guthrie Spence

Author:William Guthrie Spence [Spence, William Guthrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780522862874
Google: dTYmlQEACAAJ
Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing
Published: 2013-01-15T16:08:43+00:00

CHAPTER VI

The Battle of 1894

The years 1891–93 provided a period of peace, and of advance, and increased membership. The General Laborers’ Union was launched as a separate body in 1891, but during the following year it was seen by all the leaders that the right thing to work for was to have all in one organisation.

On April 14th, 1892, Larry de Petric took charge of GLU affairs in Sydney, and did some good work amongst the unemployed and workers generally. On April 30th the office of the Cobar Branch of each Union was removed to Coonamble, making that the headquarters.

A ballot of the members of each Union was taken, resulting as follows: GLU, 2,212 in favour of amalgamation of both Unions, and 212 against. In the ASU, 5,862 voted in favour and 5,997 against. The membership of the GLU was mainly confined to New South Wales, hence the vote in Victoria, where but few had joined, was largely against the proposal. It was natural that shearers would be influenced by the fact. The matter was submitted again in 1893 to the members of the ASU with the result 4,825 in favour, 5,686 against. New South Wales Branches gave a majority of 576 in favour, and the Conference decided to allow New South Wales Branches to amalgamate. Prior to the ballot being taken a basis for the constitution of the new body had been drawn up, and it was on this the vote had been taken.

Practically amalgamation was agreed to at the Conference of 1894, but the new constitution was only adopted at the special convention held in Albury in February, 1895. A good deal of grumbling took place over the decision of our 1894 Conference, but the results have amply justified the steps taken to effect amalgamation of the two bodies whose interests are so inter-woven. In 1893 the secretaries of Coonamble Branches, Messrs Percy and Elliott, were suspended, and Mr C. Poynton put in charge, a position which he held until 1895, when he retired, and Mr G. A. Burgess took the office. In 1893 Mr W. W. Head resigned the secretaryship of Wagga Branch, and Mr T. Smith was elected in his place.

The year 1893 saw the Bank smashes, and, the throwing into the labour market of so many unemployed, no doubt encouraged the reactionaries in the PU to break away from their solemn agreement of 1891. Both conferences met in Sydney, and, though communications passed between them, not a hint was given as to their intention of breaking their agreement with us. Our first official notice was received in a letter dated 14th April, 1894, in which the hired secretary, Mr Whitely King, says:

I am directed to inform you that the Pastoralists’ Federal Council on behalf of the Federated Association of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia having found the shearing agreement made at the conference held in July and August, 1891, at Adelaide and Sydney unsatisfactory, this Union hereby gives notice that from this date its members will discontinue working under the said agreement.

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