Welcome to the Meatworkers Union
Graham Bird and Laurie Burley retire at Xmas 2011 - they will be missed by AMIEU
Locked-out New Zealand meat workers back on the job!
We recognise commitment to the Union
See Union Shopper Christmas Newsletter
Woolworth's Supermarket Agreement - Negotiations Formally Begin
Join the campaign to ban live animal exports
On August 14 the RSPCA and Animals Australia held rallies all around Australia. Look at the footage of the rallies
On 18 August 2011, Animals Australia publicly released evidence gathered during a recent investigation in Turkey. The footage documents routine practices in facilities that receive Australian animals.
Get Up Australia, the RSPCA, Animals Australia, and the Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union (AMIEU) presented a petition with 200,000 signatures to Parliament House at 3.00pm 2 June 2011. It said:
To Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig:
"We call on you to immediately halt the live exports of Australian cattle to Indonesia and move towards an end to the live exports of Australian animals within 3 years."
The groundswell of support for banning of live exports came from the show on Four Corners on 30 May 2011 called A Bloody Business
The AMIEU Victorian Branch has fought against Live Exports since the 1970s when Australian farmers starting to export live sheep. We opposed the expansion into exporting cattle. Over the past 30 years 160 million Australian animals have been exported to countries where there are no laws to protect them from cruelty. 2.5 million died on the way. We call on the Government to Ban All Live Exports
See more videos about Live Exports. See why all Live Exports should be banned.
Meatworkers have enjoyed a history
and a culture of unionism
This has been built over many years and has continued from generation to generation. Work in meatworks and associated workplaces has always been physically hard, dangerous and skilful. Without the strength of organized labour it would undoubtedly be more dangerous and have stayed poorly paid as well.
Most of the conditions and wages many now enjoy were the result of the unity and industrial action (strikes etc) of workers over many years before them. All the major sheds through the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties were one hundred percent unionised and were therefore able to put up a united front against powerful employers who would otherwise have exploited them. In Victoria particularly, the AMIEU led the way in the establishment of industrial awards, which many now take for, granted. Things like equal pay for women, long service leave, Superannuation, redundancy, annual leave, sick leave and public holidays were established and developed by the union, backed up with united industrial pressure.
This has been built over many years and has continued from generation to generation. Work in meatworks and associated workplaces has always been physically hard, dangerous and skilful. Without the strength of organized labour it would undoubtedly be more dangerous and have stayed poorly paid as well.Most of the conditions and wages many now enjoy were the result of the unity and industrial action (strikes etc) of workers over many years before them. All the major sheds through the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties were one hundred percent unionised and were therefore able to put up a united front against powerful employers who would otherwise have exploited them. In Victoria particularly, the AMIEU led the way in the establishment of industrial awards, which many now take for, granted. Things like equal pay for women, long service leave, Superannuation, redundancy, annual leave, sick leave and public holidays were established and developed by the union, backed up with united industrial pressure.
