Labor Council of New South Wales

The Labor Council of New South Wales is a representative body of Trade union organisations in the State of New South Wales, Australia. As of 2005 there are 67 unions and 8 Rural and Regional Trades & Labor Councils affiliated to the Labor Council, representing 800,000 workers in NSW. It is registered as the State Peak Council of Employees under Section 215 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW).

The Labor Council was formed by six Unions in 1871, and originally called the "Trades & Labor Council of Sydney". In 1894 it changed its name to the "Sydney District of Australasian Labour Federation". In 1900 it again changed name to the "Sydney Labor Council", changing again eight years later to the Labor Council of New South Wales.

In 2005 it adopted the name Unions New South Wales for all public purposes, but retained the official name Labor Council of New South Wales.

Responsibilities

The Labor Council of New South Wales is responsible for:

* implementing Australian Council of Trade Unions policy within New South Wales.
* co-ordinating union activities and campaigns, involving more than one union.
* providing assistance with research, negotiations and advocacy to affiliated organisations.
* lobbying State Parliament for social and industrial reforms.
* providing a public point of contact for general enquiries on New South Wales unions.
* Ownership of the Sydney Trades Hall was transferred to the Labor Council in 2002, from the original trustees: the "Trades Hall Association".

Labor Council Secretaries

* H. M. Ford 1871-1872
* T. White 1872
* A. Cameron 1873 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030311b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* T. White 1873
* F. B. Dixon 1873-1874 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040072b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* A. Cameron 1874 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030311b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* P. Aiken 1874-1876
* T. H. Hall 1876-1879
* W. Helstey 1880
* W. R. Roylance 1880-1882
* J. E. West 1883 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120499b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* F. B. Dixon 1883 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040072b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* T. Symons 1884-1887
* J. J. Cronin 1887-1888
* T. J. Houghton 1888-1891 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090374b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* J. Riddell 1891-1894
* J. P. Cochran 1894-1902
* T. H. Thrower 1903-1904 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120248b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* J. P. Cochran 1904-1910
* E. J. Kavanagh 1910-1918 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090535b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* J. S. (Jock) Garden 1918-1922 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080631b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* J. Howie 1922
* J. S. (Jock) Garden 1923-1934 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080631b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* R. A. King 1934-1958
* J. D. Kenny 1958-1967 [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150005b.htm Entry in Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* R. B. Marsh 1967-1974
* John Ducker 1975-1979
* Barrie Unsworth 1979-1983
* J. MacBean 1984-1988
* Michael Easson 1989-1994
* P. Sams 1994-1998
* Michael Costa 1998-2001
* John Robertson 2001-

External links

* [http://council.labor.net.au/ Official website]