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CEPU NATIONAL HISTORY

INTRODUCTION

The CEPU is the primary union in the Communications industry. The long term plan is to have this as the only union within the industry. All employees in the industry will belong to the CEPU.

CEPU NATIONAL OBJECTS

The CEPU believes that all workers are entitled to expect basic human rights and the right to join and actively involves our members in promoting their interests and to co-operate with other like-minded organisations to promote the role and achievements of the labour movement.

We support the development of the communications industries in a socially responsible way.

In turn the workforce should benefit from secure jobs, meaningful careers, proper training, a safe and satisfying workplace, fair and equitable treatment, a voice in management decisions and high and increasing levels of wages and employment conditions.

This package of outcomes will never simply be a gift from benevolent employers or governments.

Such success depends on all workers in our evolving industries being recruited to the CEPU, receiving effective representation and services, and being actively involved in the union's democratic processes.

This of course is a great challenge. We face the threat of ongoing massive change: technology, corporatisation, deregulation, globalisation and anti-union political and economic ideology.

By working together and with other progressive organisations, we can meet this challenge.

CEPU STRUCTURE

The CWU and EPU amalgamated in August 1994 to form CEPU. The elec- trical industry has many licensed persons and also covers many electronic manufacturers. The plumbing industry is also a licensed industry. With Telecom and Optus requiring licenses, there is a common thread between the groups. With shared trenches, all three groups must interface. The amalgamation will essentially be a fed- eration. Two Divisions exist.

                    ............
                    |   CEPU   |
                    | National |
   45 delegates     ............      40 delegates
   ...........        |      |        ...........
   |   CD    |.........      .........|   EP    |
   |Division |                        |Division |
   ...........                        ...........
  Communications                    Electrical/Plumbing

CEPU NATIONAL CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP & VOTES

Membership Numbers All Divisions

                  01-03-1994   01-03-1997   01-03-1998   01-03-1999   01-03-2002   
                  members vote members vote members vote members vote members vote
Electrical NSW     23333   233  20376   203  17023   170  18734   187  16421   164
Electrical VIC     11181   111  11207   112  13549   135  14629   146  16557   165   
Electrical QLD      8538    85  10016   100  10426   104   8397    83   8411    84   
Electrical SA       5640    56   3928    39   3417    34   3193    31   2800    28   
Electrical WA       5323    53   6036    60   5502    55   5360    53   4032    40   
Electrical TAS      1724    17   1441    14   1122    11   1135    11      -     -   
Plumbing   NSW      3064    30   3065    30   3219    30   3422    34   1584    15    
Plumbing   VIC      7855    78   6648    66   6634    66   3505    35   7988    79    
Plumbing   QLD      3012    30   2394    23   2031    23   2024    20   1594    15    
Plumbing   SA       1555    15    630     6    639     6    635     6    573     5    
Plumbing   WA       1544    15   1220    15   1259    15    658     6    578     5    
Plumbing   TAS       311     3    123     1    129     1    152     1    120     1    
Plumbing   ACT       419     4    375     3    335     3    310     3    240     2
Comms P&T  NSW     17066   170  17451   170  15579   155  14864   148  12081   120  
Comms P&T  VIC     11132   111  11431   111   9884    98   8842    88   6452    64    
Comms P&T  QLD      6485    64   7187    64   6443    64   6257    62   5016    50    
Comms P&T  SA       3735    37   3783    37   3690    37   3314    33   2649    26    
Comms P&T  WA       3130    31   3396    31   3022    31   2772    27   2328    23    
Comms P&T  TAS      1115    11   1190    11   1125    11   1020    10    943     9    
Comms T&S  NSW      8746    87   8685    87   7483    74   6644    66   3314    33  
Comms T&S  VIC      7202    72   7458    72   6561    65   6016    60   3760    37  
Comms T&S  QLD      4287    42   3853    42   3508    35   3087    30   1832    18  
Comms T&S  SA       2426    24   2199    24   2055    20   2055    20   1048    10  
Comms T&S  WA       2242    22   2313    22   2034    20   1816    18   1006    10  
Comms T&S  TAS       682     6    604     6    533     5    505     5    229     2  
Comms TOA/Optus      776     7    702     7    565     5    520     5    152     1  
Electrical EXEC              4            4            4            4            4   
Plumbing   EXEC              4            4            4            4            4    
Comms T&S  EXEC              4            4            4            4            4  
Comms P&T  EXEC              4            4            4            4            4  
                                                        
  Totals                                                
Electrical Total   55739   559  53004   534  51039   509  51448   514  48221   482
Plumbing   Total   17760   179  14455   148  14246   144  10706   100  12677   126
Comms T&S  Total   25585   257  25112   255  22739   224  20643   206  11341   113
Comms P&T  Total   43439   424  45114   455  39743   396  37069   370  29469   294
                                                                     
GRAND TOTAL       142523  1419 137711  1393 127767  1273 119866  1190 101708  1015 
Votes calculated by dividng income by divisor 2018 2017 2018 2018 divisor $330 NSW P&T 3,219,764 3,229,724 9,757 97 NSW T&S 471,190 512,312 1,428 14 VIC P&T 1,612,588 1,577,636 4,887 48 VIC T&S 761,015 830,252 2,306 23 QLD 1,293,497 1,338,863 3,920 39 SA & NT 557,117 604,698 1,688 16 WA 736,251 677,384 2,231 22 Sub Tot 8,651,422 8,770,869 26,216 264 Div Sec 2 NSW 1,182,074 1,185,047 3,582 35 VIC 4,130,931 4,042,635 12,518 125 WA 277,557 282,518 841 8 QLD 1,694,855 1,596,617 5,136 51 Sub Tot 7,285,417 7,106,817 22,077 221 Electrical Energy & Services Divisional Secretary 3 3 0.22 NSW 6,317,082 6,460,021 19,143 191 Vic 8,206,335 8,142,350 24,868 248 QLD 7,316,749 7,532,466 22,172 221 SA 1,785,395 1,959,878 5,410 54 WA 3,994,418 4,032,885 12,104 121 Tasmania 940,785 1,018,790 2,851 28 Sub Tot 28,560,764 29,146,390 86,548 866 Grand total 44,497,603 134,841 1,351 100.00

CEPU FINANCIAL MEMBERSHIP

Financial Membership of CEPU

  1989   145567         
  1990   155144       
  1991   163558
  1992   152783       
  1993   150467       
  1994   147509
  1995   140142      
  1996   145644      
  1997   137711
  1998   127767
  1999   119866
  2000
  2001
  2002   101708

CEPU NATIONAL AMALGAMATION

The CEPU came into being on 1st August 1994. It came from an amalgamation between the Electrical and Plumbing Union (EPU) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The CEPU consists of three Divisions.
The Communications Division (CD)
The Electrical Division (ED)
The Plumbing Division (PD)

Each Division has its own set of rules. A separate set of rules covers the national organisation. The National organisation is a National Executive ans a National Coulcil.

The CEPU is in effect a federation of the three divisions: Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Divisions are autonomous on matters which affect only their Division.

The National Council is responsible for issues which affect more than one Division or the union as a whole.

BRANCHES

The union has 27 Branches (2001) including 14 in the Communications Division.

In each of the six States there is one Electrical Branch, one Plumbing Branch and two Communications Branches (a Postal and Telecommunications Branch and a Telecommunications and Services Branch. Two national CD Branches, the TOA Branch and the Optus Branch operate over all states.

AMALGAMATION BALLOT RESULTS

The results of CWU and EPU amalgamation ballot were:
CWU 68550 ballot papers issued
23718 voted 34% voted
16725 voted yes 70% voted yes



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