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Trade Union entry Locomotive Engine Drivers & Firemens Association (1872 - 1900)

From
1872
Victoria
To
1900
Functions
Trade Union (State or Territory only)

Summary

Originally known as the Locomotive Engine Drivers' Association, which operated from 1861 until 1872, the Locomotive Engine Drivers' & Firemens' Association was formed when it was deemed that the original union should have provision to act on behalf of locomotive firemen also.

The idea of amalgamating Locomotive Enginemens' Associations from all states was suggested at a Victorian Conference in 1886. Federation did not come to fruition until 1899-1900 when the Locomotive Engine Drivers' & Firemens' Association from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland met to form the Federated Railway Locomotive Enginemen's Association of Australasia. This body met yearly at Conference, but did not set up a Federal Division until 1920. In that year a decision of the High Court made it possible for unions covering employees in state instrumentalities to have access to the Federal Arbitration Court. In February 1921, the newly named Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen [AFULE] was the first such union to gain federal registration with the Court.

In 1922-1923, following Federal registration, successful steps were taken for the AFULE to gain coverage of Locomotive Enginemen working for Commonwealth railways, and the Union became truly Australia wide.

In 1924, the AFULE decided to file a separate log of claims on each of the state employers, but the decision of the Australian Railways Union to try to establish one federal award for all railwaymen precipitated the Locomotive Enginemen into a similar case before the Federal Arbitration Court. The AFULE presented a mass of detailed evidence resulting by April 1925 in its first Federal Award binding on State instrumentalities and bringing its four Union Divisions into line industrially.

By 1926 the union had changed its name to the Australian Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, only to change it back to the Australian Federated Union of Enginemen in 1927. After 1970, membership swelled as a result of the inclusion of members from the deregistered Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen, Commonwealth Division. In 1993 the AFULE merged with the Australian Tramway & Motor Omnibus Employees' Association, the National Union of Rail Workers of Australia and the Australian Railways Union to form the Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union.

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Timeline

 1861 - 1872 Locomotive Engine Drivers Association
       1872 - 1900 Locomotive Engine Drivers & Firemens Association
             1900 - 1921 Federated Railway Locomotive Enginemens Association of Australasia
                   1921 - 1926 Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen (i)
                         1926 - 1927 Australian Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
                               1927 - 1993 Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen (ii)
                                     1993 - Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union

Archival resources

The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program

  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen - Records, 1896 - 1965, E118; Z515; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details
  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen - Records, 1885 - 1962, E94; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details
  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen - Records, 1891 - 1973, E212; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details
  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen - Records, 1870 - 1990, E99; Z154; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details
  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen - Records, 1895 - 1954, T60; The Noel Butlin Archives Centre, ANU Archives Program. Details

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

  • Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen. Victorian Division - Records, 1882 Sept.-1930, 1882 - 1930, MS 9391; State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Edited Books

  • De Pomeroy, N.W. and Gilbert, R. (eds), Men of the Footplate: One Hundred and Thirty Years of Railway Trade Unionism 1861-1991, Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen (Victorian Division), Melbourne, 1992. Details

Journal Articles

  • Benham, Lorraine and Rickard, John, 'Masters and Servants: The Victorian Railways Strike of 1903', Labour History, vol. 24, Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Sydney, 1973, pp. 1-25. Details
  • Dixson, M., 'Stubborn Resistance: The Northern New South Wales Miners' Lockout of 1929-1930', Labour History, vol. 24, Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Sydney, 1973, pp. 128-142. Details

Ross G. Elford

Created: 28 September 2001, Last modified: 12 December 2002