The Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is Australia's oldest continuously operating trade union, founded 1886, representing workers across mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, healthcare, and allied industries through seven state branches, 1,182 active enterprise agreements, and 79 of 144 national awards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1886
- HeadquartersGranville, Australia
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Australian Workers' Union does
The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is Australia's largest and oldest trade union, founded in 1886 as the Australasian Shearers Union and renamed in 1894. It is a not-for-profit membership organisation registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act, headquartered in Granville, New South Wales. The AWU represents workers across mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, civil construction, agriculture, healthcare, steel, aluminium, hairdressing, and swim instruction, covering 79 of 144 Australian industrial awards and maintaining 1,182 active enterprise agreements nationally. The union is led by National Secretary Paul Farrow and Assistant National Secretary Chris Donovan, with operations distributed across seven state and territory branches.
The AWU generates revenue through member contributions (subscription fees varying by employment status and industry, set at the branch level), which are not publicly disclosed. Its service offering extends beyond traditional industrial representation to legal advice via industrial officers, workers' compensation assistance, income protection insurance access, and coordinated public campaigns. The portfolio is organised around Industry Reference Groups (Steel, Oil and Gas, Aluminium, Civil Construction) and allied organisations including the Western Mine Workers' Alliance (formed 2013 with CFMEU), the Offshore Alliance (with the Maritime Union of Australia), Hair Stylists Australia, and the Swim Instructors Association. There is no proprietary technology product; the online Members Portal at awu.net.au/portal serves as a transactional self-serve interface for membership management. Distribution is entirely domestic (Australia-only), with no global footprint, and the union engages members through its website, campaign pages, news articles, and Facebook groups for industry reference cohorts.
The Australian Workers' Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Australian Workers' Union
- Legal name
- The Australian Workers' Union
- Website
- https://awu.net.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1886
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Australian Workers' Union is Australia's oldest continuously operating trade union, founded 1886, representing workers across mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, healthcare, and allied industries through seven state branches, 1,182 active enterprise agreements, and 79 of 144 national awards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Australian Workers' Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Union Services
- NAICS
- Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Labor Relations & Employment Practice Advisory (BPAHAGAK)
Keywords
Where The Australian Workers' Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Granville
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Markets served
The Australian Workers' Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | — | Membership fees vary by employment status and industry |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Australian Workers' Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is a registered trade union that represents individual workers through collective bargaining, enterprise agreement negotiation, industrial advocacy, and workplace representation. It provides members with industrial support, legal advice through industrial officers, workers' compensation assistance, income protection insurance access, and campaigns for safer workplaces across industries including mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, healthcare, and services.
Product overview
The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is Australia's largest union representing workers across diverse industries including mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and services. Rather than a unified software product, the AWU offers a portfolio of membership services through its member portal, alongside industry-specific divisions and alliances including the Western Mine Workers' Alliance (WMWA), Offshore Alliance, Hair Stylists Australia, Swim Instructors Association, and Industry Reference Groups for Steel, Oil and Gas, Aluminium, and Civil Construction sectors. These divisions collectively provide industrial advocacy, workplace representation, enterprise bargaining support, and campaign coordination for hundreds of thousands of Australian workers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AWU Trade Union Membership Subscription-based union membership providing individual workers with industrial representation, legal advice through industrial officers, workers' compensation assistance, income protection insurance access, and collective bargaining support across industries including mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, and healthcare.
Quantifiable outcome
- AWU members earn $350 extra weekly on average compared to non-members
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Australian Workers' Union
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Australian Workers' Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Australian Workers' Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Australian Workers' Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- AFL-CIO: The largest federation of labor unions in the United States. While not directly comparable in geography, it is thematically analogous as a national umbrella coordinating bargaining, advocacy, and member services across industry-specific unions.
- Trades Union Congress (TUC): The national trade union center for the United Kingdom, representing unions across industries. Thematically related as a federation/peer institution engaged in collective bargaining and labor policy advocacy.
Direct peers
- Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers' Association (SDA): Australia's largest private-sector union covering retail, fast-food, and warehouse workers. Comparable dues-funded model and large-scale national membership operations, with similar state-branch distribution.
- United Workers Union (UWU): One of Australia's largest unions formed by amalgamation, covering cleaning, hospitality, manufacturing, and care workers. Directly comparable dues-funded model and broad cross-industry membership base.
- Australian Services Union (ASU): Australian union representing workers in service industries including local government, transport, and utilities. Comparable membership scale, state-branch structure, and enterprise bargaining activity.
- Electrical Trades Union (ETU): Australian union covering electrical, electronics, and communications workers. Comparable membership model, enterprise bargaining footprint, and engagement with construction and infrastructure employers.
- Maritime Union of Australia (MUA): Australian union representing waterfront, shipping, and offshore workers. Partner with AWU in the Offshore Alliance covering offshore oil and gas workers, making them a direct operating peer in maritime industrial representation.
- Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU): Major Australian union representing construction, forestry, mining, and maritime workers. AWU's WMWA is a formal alliance with the CFMEU Mining and Energy Division, making them direct operating peers and partners.
- Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU): One of Australia's largest trade unions covering manufacturing, automotive, and related workers. Highly comparable to AWU in scale, member-funded dues model, and coverage of blue-collar industrial workers in cyclical sectors.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU): The national peak body for Australian trade unions, of which AWU is an affiliate. ACTU provides the broader policy, political, and collective-bargaining umbrella within which AWU and peer unions operate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Australian Workers' Union social profiles
Digital presenceThe Australian Workers' Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Australian Workers' Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Australian Workers' Union subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Australian Workers' Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Australian Workers' Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Australian Workers' Union
What does The Australian Workers' Union do?
The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is a registered trade union that represents individual workers through collective bargaining, enterprise agreement negotiation, industrial advocacy, and workplace representation. It provides members with industrial support, legal advice through industrial officers, workers' compensation assistance, income protection insurance access, and campaigns for safer workplaces across industries including mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, healthcare, and services.
Is The Australian Workers' Union a public or private company?
The Australian Workers' Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Australian Workers' Union founded?
The Australian Workers' Union was founded in 1886.
Where is The Australian Workers' Union based?
The Australian Workers' Union is headquartered in Granville, Australia, in the Oceania region.
Who are The Australian Workers' Union's main competitors?
Others on record are AFL-CIO and Trades Union Congress (TUC). Direct peers are Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers' Association (SDA), United Workers Union (UWU), Australian Services Union (ASU), Electrical Trades Union (ETU), Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU). Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Australian Workers' Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Australian Workers' Union.
What industry is The Australian Workers' Union in?
The Australian Workers' Union's product category is Trade Union Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAK, Labor Relations & Employment Practice Advisory. Its NAICS code is 813930 and its SIC code is 8600.