Queensland Council of Unions - History

History

The origins of the organisation lie in a meeting of union secretaries to form a Trades and Labour Council on 18 August 1885, with agreement to form the organisation from 1 September, 1885. This was a period of rapid growth and saw the establishment of several unions including the Queensland Labourers Union (1889) and the Queensland Teachers Union (1889), and a growth in membership of existing unions. The Fifth Intercolonial Trade Union Congress in Brisbane in 1889 accepted the proposal to form the Australian Labour Federation, with the inaugural meeting on 11 June 1889 and the Labour Council disbanded. The Brisbane Worker newspaper was established in 1890 by the ALF under the editorship of William Lane. That year saw the first of the great Australian strikes in the 1890s: the 1890 Australian Maritime Dispute, followed by the 1891 Shearers strike, and the 1894 Shearers strike.

A Labour Council had formed again by 1903, but in 1911 all affiliates transferred to the Australian Labour Federation. In January 1914 the ALF effectively dissolved, as many of its affiliates had been swallowed by the Australian Workers Union, and a new organisation formed midyear called the Brisbane Industrial Council. Other inter-union organisations included the Eight Hours Union and the Brisbane Trades Hall Board, responsible for managing Brisbane Trades Hall. During the First World War closer unity between labour movement organisations was explored culminating in a conference in September 1918 attended by 42 unions adopting an amalgamation scheme. After lengthy negotiations, on 12 April 1922 the Queensland Trades and Labour Council was established by 46 unions.

In 1993 the organisation was renamed the Australian Council of Trade Unions Queensland Branch to reflect its primary function and role. The name again changed in 1999 to Queensland Council of Unions to rebuild its local identity as a peak organisation for Queensland trade unions.

Other important industrial disputes in Queensland include:

• 1912 Brisbane General Strike
• 1948 Queensland Railway strike
• SEQEB dispute
• 1998 Australian waterfront dispute

Currently two major unions in Queensland affiliated to Labor Right are not members of the QCU. These are the Australian Workers Union and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association.