Trade Union entry Technical Service Guild of Australia (1970 - 1991)

Summary

The Technical Service Guild was formerly the National Service Guild, an in-house state-registered staff organisation within the company NCR. Registration of a union to represent employees in the business equipment, electronics and newly developing computer industry came about as a result of the deterioration of conditions in the industry in the late sixties. Indeed, the 1960s was a period of change in the fields of electro-mechanics and mainframe computers, but no satisfactory award existed which could offer protection.

In its early years, the Technical Service Guild worked to establish a Federal Award which it gained in 1971, amid the fiercely anti-union sentiment of large employer groups in the industry. Over the next few years the Guild established branches in most states, and despite its scarce resources continued to organise and protect workers in what has now become the information technology field.

Operating for another twenty-one years, the union finally merged with the Municipal Officers' Association of Australia and the Australian Transport Officers' Federation to form the Australian Municipal Transport Energy Water Ports Community & Information Services Union [ASU] in 1991. Despite numerous amalgamations and formal name changes since (today it is known as the Australian Municipal Administrative Clerical & Services Union) is has always retained the secondary title of the Australian Services Union.

Related entries

Timeline

 1970 - 1991 Technical Service Guild of Australia
       1991 - 1992 Australian Municipal Transport Energy Water Ports Community & Information Services Union (i)
             1992 - 1993 Australian Municipal Transport Energy Water Ports Community & Information Services Union (ii)
                   1993 Australian Municipal Transport Energy Water Ports Community & Information Services Union (iii)
                         1993 - 1994 Australian Municipal Administrative Clerical & Services Union (i)
                               1994 - Australian Municipal Administrative Clerical & Services Union (ii)

Archival resources

The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program

• Technical Service Guild of Australia - Records, 1969 - 1990, Z561; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details

Published resources

Online Resources

• 'Chart 6: Trade Unions - Administrative Services and Local Government', in Parties to the Award, 2002, http://www.atua.org.au/ptta/027.html. Details