The Boilermakers and Blacksmiths Society of Australia (BBS) was an Australian trade union representing boilermakers and blacksmiths between 1965 and 1972. It was established on 1 January 1966 with the amalgamation of the

Boilermakers' Society of Australia The Boilermakers' Society of Australia was a trade union in Australia which existed from 1911 until 1965. It was established as the Federated Society of Boilermakers & Iron Shipbuilders of Australia in 1911, operating as a federation of pre-exi ...

and the

Blacksmiths' Society of Australia The Blacksmiths' Society of Australia was an Australian trade union which existed from 1911 to 1965. It was established in late 1911 as a federation of pre-existing state unions under the name of the Blacksmiths' Society of Australasia. The federa ...

. Though widely described as the formation of a new union, it inherited the industrial registration of the Boilermakers' Society. The union was associated with a "militant left-wing" group within the Metal Trades Federation. The BBS was the principal union involved in the

1971 Harco work-in The 1971 Harco work-in was an action undertaken by workers at a steel plant in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The work-in was the culmination of a protracted industrial dispute between the owners of Harco Steel and the workers at the Ca ...

, in which rank-and-file workers seized control of a heavy engineering factory in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown to protest the sacking of five boilermakers. The workers, inspired by the example of 'work-ins' at

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) was a Scottish shipbuilding consortium, created in 1968 as a result of the amalgamation of five major shipbuilders of the River Clyde. It entered liquidation, with much controversy, in 1971. That led to a " work-in ...

in the UK and French car workers during the

May 68 Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting some seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, as well as the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which h ...

of 1968, occupied the factory for a period of four weeks. It amalgamated with the

Sheet Metal Working Industrial Union of Australia Sheet or Sheets may refer to: * Bed sheet, a rectangular piece of cloth used as bedding * Sheet of paper, a flat, very thin piece of paper * Sheet metal, a flat thin piece of metal * Sheet (sailing), a line, cable or chain used to control the c ...

and the Amalgamated Engineering Union in 1972 and ceased to exist at that time; however, due to legal issues over the name of the new union, the successor

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 ...

was not registered until 1973.

References

{{Authority control Defunct trade unions of Australia Metal trade unions 1966 establishments in Australia Trade unions established in 1966 Trade unions disestablished in 1972 1972 disestablishments in Australia