What is a Union?
A Union is formed when a group of employees in a particular trade or industry come together to defend and advance their pay and working conditions, collectively.
Unions in Australia are not-for-profit employee representative organisations registered and regulated under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act. They are funded by voluntary membership contributions.
Who is the CWU?
The Communication Workers Union is the Union for postal, telecommunications & broadband, call centre, information technology and pay-tv workers across Australia.
We exist to advance the interests, and defends the rights, of our members across our covered industries. We provide members with support, advocacy and representation when negotiating with employers. Union affairs tend to be very time consuming and therefore full-time Union Officials are necessary to do the various jobs that must be done if a Union is to succeed in its aims.
The CWU is a strong, efficient and progressive Union, staffed by dedicated and experienced Officials across the country.
Our secure, autonomous structure
Today, the CEPU currently represents almost 100,000 workers, Australia wide, making us one of the largest trade Unions in Australia.
Through a Divisional structure, each Branch of the CEPU operates autonomously and maintains a close relationship with its members.
At an overarching National level, the Communications Division is represented on the Executive of the amalgamated CEPU through proportional representation.
The Communications Division of the CEPU is known under the Union’s Rules as the Communication Workers Union Division (or CWU Division) and is administered on a national level through a Divisional (National) Office.
Divisional Officials and Executive are directly elected by the membership of all Branches which belong to the Communications Division, nationally.
The CEPU. nationally, is affiliated to the ACTU.
The CWU National Office is administered from Level 9 of the ACTU building at 365 Queen Street Melbourne, Victoria.
Our long, proud history
The CWU is the Communications Division of the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU) – a national trade Union structured over three autonomous divisions, representing workers across the wider communications, electrical and plumbing industries.
The CEPU was formed in 1994 following an amalgamation of the Communication Workers Union of Australia (CWU), the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and the Plumbing and Gasfitters Employees’ Union (PGEU/PTEU).
A brief timeline of our history:
1912 the Australian Letter Carriers’ Association and the Australian Telegraph, Telephone Construction & Maintenance Union (later known as the Australian Postal Linesmen Union of Australia) were both registered federally
1924 the Australian Letter Carriers’ Association changed its name to the Commonwealth Public Service Fourth Division Employees’ Union of Australia only to amalgamate a year later with the Postal Sorters’ Union of Australia and the Australian Postal Linesmen Union of Australia to form the Amalgamated Postal Linesmen Sorters’ & Letter Carriers’ Union of Australia
1926 the newly amalgamated Union becomes known as the Amalgamated Postal Workers’ Union (APWU), covering posties, mail sorters and telecommunications linesmen.
1974 the APWU merges with the Union of Postal Clerks and Telegraphists (UPT) to become the Australian Postal & Telecommunications Union (APTU)
1990 the APTU merged with the Australian Postmasters’ Association and later the Postal Supervisory Officers’ Association to eventually be known as the Communication Workers Union (CWU). The Australian Telecommunications Employee Association/Australian Telephone & Phonogram Officers Association [ATEA/ATPOA] and the Telecommunication Officers Association [TOA] later amalgamated with the CWU. The ATEA retained autonomy in a divisional structure, whilst the TOA merged with APTU originating Branches.
1994 the CWU amalgamated with the Electrical Electronic Plumbing & Allied Workers Union of Australia, the end product of a merger between the ETU and the PGEU/PTEU, to form the Communications Electrical Electronic Energy Information Postal Plumbing & Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU)
