The Australian Boot Trade Employees' Federation (ABTEF) was an Australian

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

which existed from 1908 to 1987.Smith, Bruce A. created 20 April 2001, last modified 6 August 2010. Trade Union Entry: Australian Boot Trade Employees Federation. "http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0124b.htm".

Australian Trade Union Archives Australian Trade Union Archives is a website intended to be an online resource for archived and present day material related to industrial organisations in Australia. It went online in 2002. It is a joint project of the Australian Science and Tec ...

. Retrieved 8 October 2011. The union represented all workers employed in footwear manufacturing in Australia.Huntley, Pat and Huntley, Ian. (1979). "''Inside Australia's Top 100 Trade Union''". Northbridge:Ian Huntley Pty. Ltd.

Formation

The ABTEF was formed through the amalgamation of several smaller state-based and

craft unions Craft unionism refers to a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the sa ...

in the footwear industry, such as the New South Wales Clickers' Association and the New South Wales Boot Operators and Rough Stuff Cutters' Union.

Amalgamation

The domestic footwear industry went into steep decline in the 1970s and 80s due to the removal of tariffs, and competition from cheap imported products from Asia. This led to a rapid decline in the Australian industry's workforce, and consequently the membership of the ABTEF. The ABTEF, therefore, began seeking amalgamation with other unions in kindred industries, before gradually amalgamating with the

Australian Textile Workers' Union The Australian Textile Workers' Union (ATWU) was an Australian trade union which existed from 1919 to 1987.Smith, Bruce A. created 20 April 2001, last modified 6 August 2010. Trade Union Entry: Australian Textile Workers Union (ii). "http://www. ...

in 1988 to form the

Amalgamated Footwear and Textile Workers' Union of Australia Amalgamated Footwear and Textile Workers' Union of Australia was a short-lived Australian trade union, which existed between 1987 and 1992.Smith, Bruce A. created 20 April 2001, last modified 6 August 2010. Trade Union Entry: Amalgamated Footwea ...

. The new body also underwent amalgamation shortly thereafter to form the

Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia The Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) was a trade union in Australia. It represented a wide range of workers from the textile, clothing, footwear and felt hatting industries. The TCFUA was formed 1 July 1992 by the mer ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

tcfua.org.au
The website of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, the successor to the ABTEF. Defunct trade unions of Australia Footwear industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1908 Trade unions disestablished in 1987 1908 establishments in Australia 1988 disestablishments in Australia