The mighty ETU stood up and stood together at the 2024 ACTU National Congress, held in Adelaide this year. With a delegation of members and officials attending from every branch in the country, the ETU was loud, proud and powerful.
This year’s ACTU Congress comes at a critical time for our Union. With a forecast shortfall of 32,000 electricians by 2030 – plus more in plumbing, linework, and other jobs – we need strong policy to ensure we have good, well paid, union jobs and a more diverse, skilled, and expanded workforce.
ACTU Congress sets the Union Movement’s agenda for the following three years. This is an opportunity for us – from every industry, and every union – to determine policies and strategies for winning better wages and conditions, decide upon National priorities.
At the June ACTU Congress, the ETU sought support from the broader trade union movement to secure better outcomes for workers and communities in industrial relations, portable entitlements, work health and safety, superannuation, and our trades. The ETU presented our industry agenda to ACTU Congress for endorsement by the whole trade union movement. And the Australian Trade Union movement endorsed the ETU’s vision in full.
ETU National Secretary Michael Wright spoke to hundreds of unionists about the energy transition and how to put workers’ interests at the forefront of that transition. We need good union jobs.
ETU’s Fringe event ‘Do a Trade, Save the Planet’, introduced by ETU 2023 apprentice of the year Zahn Anthony, put our trades on display and highlighted how crucial our trades are and will be as part of the energy transition.
ETU members stood up and participated, sharing their important stories. And National Women’s Officer Raven Maris addressed Congress on the importance and urgency of women in our trades now and as we move through the energy transition.