It is with great sadness that the CEPU Tasmania mourns the passing of Life Member and former Branch President, Garry Laycock. Garry was a proud and committed trade unionist who gave decades of service to ETU members.
His dedication to standing up for workers’ rights, his solidarity on the job, and his contribution to building our union will never be forgotten.
We pay tribute to Garry’s life and legacy and share some of his amazing union story with ETU members across the country –
Following on from the Recharge Teams election in Victoria in 1995, other branches of the ETU soon wanted to join in and replicate what was happening. The Tasmanian Branch had lost its way, and the National Council decided a tidy-up was needed. Out of that moment, we were fortunate to gain the leadership and laughter of Garry Laycock – or “Cackles,” as he was fondly known.
Garry had already been involved with the union for many years. Times were tough for Shop Stewards, but Garry – alongside many others – kept battling away as best he could. The first State Council meeting under the new arrangements in 2000 saw the appointment of new leadership and a new plan for our Branch.
That newly elected State Council, with Garry as President, took up the challenge with enthusiasm and power. At the time, Aurora Energy – the state’s power distribution company – accounted for nearly half of our total membership in Tasmania. There was enormous scope for growth, and members’ wages had fallen well behind the rest of the country.
As our Branch President, Garry was incredibly proud of the ETU/CEPU and excited about the role he could play in shaping its future. Like all strong unions, our strength came from our Shop Stewards, and Garry embodied that to the core. Nothing was too hard for him, no task ever refused. If he thought there was a better way forward, he didn’t sit quietly – he spoke up. Even under the pressure of management’s “soft bullying,” Garry thrived, often turning those moments into opportunities to organise and have a bit of fun.
Garry was everywhere – well known and highly respected by Aurora workers. He thrived on face-to-face conversations and never missed a chance to connect with members.
At times he was doing the work of a full-time organiser. The company knew exactly where his loyalties lay and tried to isolate him by moving him into pole testing. Big mistake. All that achieved was giving him more time to organise! Soon enough they were complaining about his phone bill being too high. Garry loved this union, and it showed.
One of his proudest moments came when we held our very first mass meeting of the power industry in Tasmania – in Garry’s hometown of Campbell Town. It was a huge achievement: the first of its kind in our state. Garry had been working hard in the lead-up – on the phones, in depots, chasing members, making sure everyone understood how important their attendance would be.
After five or six years of hard slog – scrapping with the bosses, fixing day-to-day issues, and putting an organising plan in place – it all came together that day…
Over 400 Aurora workers packed into the hall. As President, Garry moved the resolution: if a satisfactory outcome could not be negotiated, then industrial action would take place. The resolution passed unanimously. That was Garry’s leadership at work – leading from the front, with the members right behind him.
Years later, Garry retired to his home in Scamander. By then, his legacy was firmly etched in our branch’s history. He served us as President, as a National Councillor, as a Shop Steward, and he remains the only ETU Life Member from Tasmania – the highest honour our union can bestow.