...the theme of ASU

National Conference 2000

ASU National Conference meets this year at Surfers Paradise to consider many issues of importance to the Union.

Foremost on Conference's agenda will be putting the theme 'ASU: organising now!' into practice right across the Union. Delegates will be involved in discussions to make sure this happens.

Greg Combet, Secretary of the ACTU, as first speaker will set the scene by reporting on the unions@work initiative, which is a blueprint for the whole union movement to recruit new members.

Michael Crosby of TUTA has conducted a review of the whole ASU and following this, National Executive has endorsed an Implementation Plan that calls for the Union to focus its resources on organising.

Crosby will outline the results of his review for delegates who will then break into workshops to discuss the Implementation Plan!

The final session of Conference will consider the recommendations of the workshops.

Other guests to National Conference will be Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition, Arch Bevis, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Grace Grace, General Secretary of the Queensland Council of Unions.

National Conference is generously sponsored by Virtual Communities, Union Shopper, Members Equity and Charter Financial Planning.

National Conference delegates on the first day.

From right: Kim Beazley, Michael O'Sullivan, Alison Peters,
Paul Slape & Julie Dack

Assistant National Secretaries (from left): Linda White, Brendan O'Connor & Greg McLean

Kim Beazley addressing delegates

National Chairperson Alison Peters (left) with Aboriginal elder Joyce Summers who welcomed ASU National Conference delegates

Paul Slape during his opening address

Michael O'Sullivan

Organisational Structure:

National Conference

The supreme policy making body of the ASU. National Conference meets biennially.

Branches send delegates to National Conference according to a formula based on number of members in each Branch. National Officers are also delegates to National Conference and Executive with one vote each.

National Executive

The body that sees to the running of the Union between meetings of National Conference. National Executive meets three times a year.

In most cases, Branch Secretaries are delegates to National Executive and have a plural vote equal to the same number of votes their Branch has at National Conference. Some Branches divide their vote between two delegates.

Branches & National Office

Day to day operation of the Union. Branches have their own committees of management, executives and other structures.