Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union


The Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union is a powerful Australian trade union representing rail, tram and bus workers. The RTBU is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Labor Party ; within the Australian Labor Party, the union is aligned with Labor Left. Internationally, the RTBU is affiliated with the International Transport Workers' Federation. It has a membership of 31,223 as at 31 December 2018.

History

The union was formed on 1 March 1993 as the Public Transport Union through the amalgamation of four long-standing transport unions: the Australian Railways Union, the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees, the Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees' Association and the National Union of Rail Workers of Australia. The amalgamation effectively created one union for public transport workers for the first time in Australia. It adopted its current name in 1998.

Structure

It is organised into National Divisions, covering Infrastructure; Rail Operations; Tram and Bus; Locomotive; Workshops and Salaried and Professional. There are seven state branches, with the National Office located in Sydney: