In a modern globalised world, companies are operating across borders and multinationals are coming to Australia with different standards of operation. To ensure that workers are getting the best outcomes, the ETU has been collaborating and coordinating with our international union counterparts, to lift standards across the globe.
Over recent weeks, ETU delegates and officials have been meeting with unions and industry leaders across the US and in Europe, to have those crucial conversations to protect workers rights, industry standards and apprenticeships.
The first stop was San Diego for the 41st International Convention of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which brought together 6,000 delegates, staff and guests. The ETU has maintained a strong relationship with the IBEW for decades, and the convention provided an opportunity to discuss cooperation on industry standards, training and employment opportunities, particularly in the rapidly expanding data centre sector.
ETU National Secretary Michael Wright also travelled to San Francisco for meetings with technology giants OpenAI and Anthropic, discussing the rollout of data centres in Australia and the importance of ensuring these major projects deliver good union jobs and quality apprenticeships.
The ETU also attended the Global Power Trade Unions (GPTU) Conference in Caserta, Italy, hosted by Italian energy union FLAEI-CISL. Union representatives from Sweden, Norway, Ireland, the US, and France all came together to discuss the challenges facing electrical and energy workers at the conference.
Whilst in Europe, ETU representatives also attended meetings with construction unions and major contractors involved in delivering Olympic infrastructure. With the Brisbane 2032 Olympics approaching, these meetings provided valuable insights into the scale of construction required, workforce planning and the importance of protecting working conditions as project deadlines draw closer.
The final stop was Ireland for the Connect Trade Union Conference, including a visit to an electricity industry training centre to learn more about Ireland’s apprenticeship system. In Ireland, the conference recognised the upcoming retirement of Paddy Kavanagh, General Secretary at Connect Trade Union and close ETU comrade. The GPTU Conference in Italy also recognised the retirement of Frank Christensen, General President of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. The ETU has a proud history of working with international lift unions – especially the IUEC alongside Frank – in representing our members. Both Frank and Paddy were presented with honorary life membership of the ETU in recognition of their invaluable contributions to international trade unionism and the advancement of the electrical trades.
Opportunities to collaborate with trades unions from across the world are invaluable. The ETU was able to learn a lot from our global counterparts. Australian electrical workers are increasingly dealing with the same employers as their comrades overseas, and it is important that we are able to share campaigning knowledge and coordinate so that no one gets left behind.