The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU), originally known as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, 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 between 1852 and 1973. It represented

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the ...

, as well as some other metal trades workers.

History

The first Australian branch of the

Amalgamated Society of Engineers The Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) was a major British trade union, representing factory workers and mechanics. History The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and M ...

was formed in Sydney in 1852 by 27 members of the British union who had emigrated to Australia following a lockout in Britain. While the Australian section was the first overseas branch of the union to be formed, several others were established over the course of the 19th century, including in Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States. In 1890 a breakaway group formed the Australasian Society of Engineers, dissatisfied with the union being controlled from Britain. The ASE was to continue to operate in parallel to the AEU throughout its history, and the two organisations were bitter rivals in organising engineering workers.

Amalgamated Engineering Union Interstate Conference Melbourne 1927

In 1921, following the amalgamation of the parent ASE union with several smaller British engineering unions, the Society was renamed the Amalgamated Engineering Union. In February 1938 the Australian branch was deregistered, but was re-established later the same year, to be known as the Amalgamated Engineering Union (Australian Section). In 1969 the Australian branch separated from its British parent union, forming an autonomous union known simply as the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). In 1972 the union began amalgamating with the Sheet Metal Working Industrial Union of Australia, the Boilermakers and Blacksmiths' Society of Australia and the Federated Jewellers, Watchmakers and Allied Trades Union of Australia. Between 1976 and 1983, this new union was called the Amalgamated Metal Workers & Shipwrights Union, before becoming the

Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), or more fully the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union, is an Australian trade union. The AMWU represents a broad range of workers in the manufacturing se ...

(AMWU).

Constitutional Law

The ASE was famous for its involvement in the landmark 1920 High Court of Australia case, '' Amalgamated Society of Engineers v Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd.'', more popularly known as the ''Engineers' case'', which overturned the doctrine of implied intergovernmental immunities, significantly altering the balance of power in Australian federalism.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amalgamated Society Of Engineers (Australia) Engineering trade unions Defunct trade unions of Australia 1852 establishments in Australia 1938 disestablishments in Australia Trade unions established in 1852 Trade unions disestablished in 1938 Trade unions disestablished in 1972