National Secretary’s Message: Winter 2026

G’day and welcome to the Worker! This issue, we celebrate a massive 140 years of the Australian Workers’ Union. On 12 June, 1886, founders David Temple and William Guthrie Spence joined forty shearers at the Fern’s Hotel in Ballarat, a moment we regard as the birth of our union. 

Since that moment, the AWU has been at the forefront of Australia’s journey from a colonial outpost to one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world.

It was AWU members who founded the Australian Labor Party and led the very first Labor government in history. It was the AWU that established the very first Industrial Award in 1907, setting wages and conditions for the pastoral industry.

And throughout that journey, we have fought tirelessly to improve the rights of workers both at the bargaining table and in the halls of Parliament.

Our fight remains much the same as it was 140 years ago – better wages and conditions, safer workplaces, and secure jobs. But it’s undeniable that the world we live and work in has changed forever.

When I started my first job as an aircraft maintenance apprentice in Bankstown, my workmates and I didn’t have the internet, mobile phones, or computers. Now we use these things every single day. Employers are using technology to monitor and manage their workforce more than ever before.

We must make sure the AWU moves too, so our members aren’t left behind. We have to use every tool available to us to build power in the workplace, to grow our union, and to get the best outcomes possible for workers.

So in 2026, we’re taking a deeper look at how we can use technology to better organise, to build membership, and empower our members.

We’ve introduced digital membership cards this year, with a lot of great feedback from our membership. You’re now able to sign up a workmate on the spot and get instant updates to your membership tier. If you haven’t downloaded your yet, please scan the QR code below and add it to your phone.

You may have already seen our new online join form and membership portal, which makes it easier to sign up to the union, update your details with us, and download resources. With this and the digital cards, we’re seeing more people join us each week – a big thank you to everyone encouraging their workmates to sign up!

And finally, we’re working to provide our organisers and industrial teams with new tools and technology to help better organise and advocate for our members.

This will be launched at our National Conference in October. We’ll have more info in our Summer Issue as part of our conference wrap-up, so stay tuned.

Workplaces have changed, technology has certainly changed, but our mission remains the same – building workplace power and delivering you a better deal at work.

This remains at the heart of everything we do. Thank you for standing with us in our fight for your rights at work.

As I look back at 140 years of AWU history, I am filled with immense pride at what we have achieved for workers in Australia, and I hope you are too. Enjoy the Worker, and I’ll see you at work soon!