This week the ASU presented a great Australian with life membership of the union. Bob Hawke joined the Federated Clerks Union Victorian Branch (now the ASU Victorian Private Sector Branch) in 1958 when he became an Advocate and Research Officer with the ACTU. Bob has been a continuous member of the union since that time, including during his time as the longest serving Labor Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 – 1991.
Before he entered the federal parliament, Bob Hawke’s leadership of the Australian union movement saw many gains for workers that we all still enjoy today. Delivering for working people was also a major feature of the Hawke Government with transformative reforms such as:
- Medicare
- Superannuation
- Access to education
At the life membership ceremony in Sydney this week, Bob Hawke talked about his love affair with the trade union movement and congratulated our movement for raising and protecting the living standards of every Australian.
You can read Branch Secretary Ingrid’s Stitt’s speech here. The ASU is enormously proud and honoured to be able to present Bob Hawke with life membership of the union.