The Federated Rubber and Allied Workers' Union of Australia 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 1909 and 1988.
[ The union represented workers employed in manufacturing ]rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
, plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
, electrical cable
An electrical cable is an assembly of one or more wires running side by side or bundled, which is used to carry electric current.
One or more electrical cables and their corresponding connectors may be formed into a ''cable assembly'', which ...
, adhesive
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...
and abrasive products in Australia.[Huntley, Pat and Huntley, Ian. (1985). "''Inside Australia's Top 100 Trade Union''". Northbridge:Ian Huntley Pty. Ltd. ]
History
The Federated Rubber and Allied Workers' Union was formed in 1909 and achieved registration in 1911 as the Rubber Workers' Union of Australia. By 1922 the union had a national membership of 2,000.[Smith, Bruce A. created 4 November 2001, last modified 12 December 2002. ''Trade Union Entry: Federated Rubber & Allied Workers Union of Australia''. "http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0486b.htm" Australian Trade Union Archives. Retrieved 7 October 2011.] Membership rose during the following decades, reaching 5150, of which 2,750 were employed in New South Wales and 2,400 in Victoria.[ Female workers made up 36% of the union's membership in 1946, an unusually high proportion for an Australian union at the time.][
The union's membership was principally in the ]footwear
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...
and automotive industries, and membership decreased as these industries restructured in the late 20th century.[ The Federated Rubber and Allied Workers' Union amalgamated with the ]Federated Storemen and Packers Union
The Federated Storemen and Packers Union of Australia was an Australian trade union which existed between 1912 and 1988. It represented workers employed in warehousing, transport logistics, and a limited range of manufacturing industries in Au ...
in 1988 to form the National Union of Storeworkers, Packers, Rubber and Allied Workers.[ This body then merged with several other small unions in 1991 to form the ]National Union of Workers
The National Union of Workers was an Australian trade union formed in 1989.
History
The National Union of Workers of Australia was formed by a progressive amalgamation of unions from 1989 onwards in a time when all Australian unions were merging ...
, which continues to provide representation for workers employed in the rubber industry.[''Background - National Union of Workers''. "http://www.nuw.org.au/get-informed/about-nuw/background " National Union of Workers. Retrieved 7 October 2011.]
References
{{Reflist
External links
nuw.org.au
Defunct trade unions of Australia
Trade unions established in 1909
Trade unions disestablished in 1988
Plastics and rubber trade unions
Industrial unions
Rubber industry