Ronnie Hayden takes reins as AWU Victorian Branch Secretary

Ronnie Hayden is taking the reins as Victorian branch secretary after two decades as a union delegate, organiser, and health and safety representative (HSR).

“It’s a huge honour to become Victorian branch secretary, and I’m incredibly grateful to all the AWU members, officials and leaders who have supported me throughout my career,” he says.

After acting in the role for six months while outgoing secretary Ben Davis took long-service leave, Ronnie is excited to officially take over from Saturday, July 1.

“When I found out, I was nervous because Ben is leaving some big shoes to fill. But I’m also really excited about the future, and looking forward to leading our members, delegates and officials.

“From the very start, AWU has been fighting on behalf of workers. I’m keen to take on that fight and deliver what matters most – good pay and conditions, safer worksites, and equality and justice for our members.”

Ronnie came to Australia from Ireland as a 20-year-old backpacker in 1994. He worked in hospitality and then the building industry before becoming an HSR in 2004 while a tunneller working on EastLink. He also became a delegate after moving to work on Melbourne’s Northern Sewerage Project.

Five years later, he moved to Portland and became the regional organiser for southwest Victoria. In 2012, Ronnie became regional organiser before moving with his family in 2016 back to Melbourne. He worked as construction organiser, building unity and power on AWU sites and spearheading strong enterprise agreements that led Victoria’s civil construction workers to become the highest-paid in the country.

“We’ve just negotiated the North East Link agreement and that will be the highest-paid civil construction agreement in the country,” he says.

“But there are still a lot of industries falling behind and we need to make sure we get their wages up to a liveable standard as rates rise and the cost of essentials balloons.”

Ensuring members feel safe when they go to work is also a “No. 1” priority for Ronnie.

“One of the things I want to be pushing is not just increasing the benefits for the worker; we want to increase benefits for their family. The idea of earning a liveable wage is that when you’re at home, you can spend time with your family.

“Family is the most important thing, and getting home safe and spending time with them without wondering if you can pay the bills is critically important.”