Electrical Trades Union Of Australia
Trade in Sydney

The BTU represents more than 26,00 electricians and electrical trades workers across a number of industries, including construction, communications and power. For the former 100 years the BTU has fought hard to improve the wages and working conditions of its members. We have succeeded in advancing wages, opportunities for our members. Officials make suggestions and offer advice but at the end of the day the members decide.

The BTU was formed by 37 electricians back in 1902 to further the social and industrial interest of electrical workers. One hundred and ten years later the BTU today represents 20,00 members across MSW and the ACT active in the electrical, energy, communications, transport, manufacturing and general trade sectors. Throughout this time the union and its members have faced many struggles as the union organized to progress the interests of members both at work and within society. Despite the sadness and two wars the BTU continued to grow and develop with membership doubling during the Second World War where many members were employed in munitions factories and manufacturing plants. 1950 saw the establishment of the MSW Electricity Commission which took over the operation of power stations and the transmission network. The Electricity commission also played an important role in securing supply and dealt with electricity shortages by establishing County Councils. Throughout the 1950’s local government went about building the electricity network that formed the foundations of today interconnected electricity networks. At the last of 1963 the union took a very valiant step and conducted an extensive campaign to claim 4 weeks annual depart for employees in the electricity supply industry. In 1968 electrical tradespeople gained an advantage of 3.00 over other trades, and over the next couple of years this gap continued to increase. Since that time the electrician has maintained a significant lead and recognition as Head of the family of trades. The majority of this section of the membership was employed not in the power stations themselves but in the field ensuring that light and power got from the point of supply to the consumer, and ensuring that that line of supply is maintained. The BTU was fundamental in establishing the Electrical Contracting Industry (State) Award in 1992. The Union, as party to the Award, remain to campaign for improvements to the Award and in the era of Enterprise Bargaining to ensure that Award conditions are maintained in Enterprise Agreements. The Union was triumphant in defeating this proposition advocated by the Premier and the Treasurer on the floor of the MSW ALP Conference by harnessing the encourage of fellow unionists and rank and file ALP members. The sparky was returned to the top of the remuneration tree. In 1998 Bernie Riordan was appointed Secretary latter the resignation of Bert Schmidt. The union focused its campaign directly at the consumers and distributed 100,00 pamphlets in marginal seats highlighting the social perils of electricity privatization. The ALP Government was returned with an increased majority. In the year 200, the inclusion of superannuation salary sacrifice provisions in the Contracting Award was a substantial breakthrough. BTU members also played an integral role in delivering what was a spectacular event in the form of the Sydney Olympic Games. The BTU was at the forefront of the highly triumphant Your Rights at Labor campaign run by unions across the country. The BTU was again instrumental in delivering this triumph for rank and file ALP members and voicing the concerns of the broader public.