The Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees' Association was an Australian trade union, in operation from 1910 to 1950 and from 1950 until 1993. It was founded as the Australian Tramway Employees Union, but was renamed to include bus employees in 1934.
The union was deregistered on 16 March 1950 for having "repudiated arbitration and decisions of a constituted authority" due to the actions of the Victorian branch in the
1950 Victorian tramway strike. The strike ended on 26 April, with one of the conditions being that the Tramways Board would not oppose re-registration. It was then re-registered in December 1950, despite objections from the
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainl ...
and six rival unions, including the
Transport Workers' Union.
On 15 May 1969
Clarrie O'Shea
Clarence Lyell O'Shea, more commonly known as Clarrie O'Shea (1906–1988), was the Victorian State Secretary of the Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees' Association who was jailed in 1969 by Sir John Kerr for contempt of the Industr ...
, the Victorian State Secretary of the union, was jailed by
John Kerr for contempt of the Industrial Court after he disobeyed a court order that his union pay $8,100 in fines, under the penal sections of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. This triggered a major national strike to demand "Free Clarrie and repeal the penal powers". On the sixth day, O'Shea was released when the fines were paid by a man who claimed to have won the New South Wales lottery.
The union merged with the
Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees, the
National Union of Rail Workers of Australia
The National Union of Rail Workers of Australia (originally National Union of Railwaymen of Australia) (NUR) was an Australian trade union representing railway industry workers which operated from 1938 until 1993.
Origins
The union had its roots i ...
and the
Australian Railways Union
The Australian Railways Union (ARU) was an Australian trade union in existence from 1920 to 1993. The ARU was an industrial union, representing all types of workers employed in the rail industry, excluding locomotive enginedrivers and tradesme ...
to form the
Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union
The Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) is an Australian trade union representing rail, tram and bus workers. The RTBU is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Intern ...
in 1993.
References
{{reflist
Defunct trade unions of Australia
Trade unions established in 1910
Trade unions disestablished in 1993