Founded 1966 Members 60,000 (1970) | Date dissolved January 1995 | |
Full name Printing and Kindred Industries Union merged into Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Affiliation ALP, ACTU, International Chemical Federation | ||
The Printing and Kindred Industries Union (PKIU) was an Australian trade union which existed between 1966 and 1995. It represented workers in the printing industry and the manufacture of paper and cardboard products.
Contents
History
The PKIU was formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia (PIEU) and the Australian Printing Trades Employees' Union (APTEU). Membership of the union increased from an initial 50,000 to a peak of 60,000 in 1970. After this membership entered a gradual decline as technological change in the printing industry reduced the number of jobs. In 1976 the union held an eight and a half week strike against John Fairfax and Sons over the use of computerized typesetting equipment. In 1986 the PKIU merged with the Federated Photo Engravers, and in 1992 with the Victorian Printers Operatives' Union. By 1992 membership had declined to 43,000 and three years later the PKIU amalgamated with the Automotive, Food, Metals and Engineering Union to become the printing division of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia
In 1888 the Western Australian Typographical Society formed. This union changed its name in 1900 to the Western Australian Typographical Industrial Union of Workers and became the Western Australian branch of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia in 1916. In 1917 the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia (PIEUA) registered federally. The formation of the Victorian branch of the PIEUA only occurred in 1921 due to disputes between the small craft unions in the printing trade.
Victorian Printers Operatives' Union
The Victorian Printers Operatives' Union was registered in 1987, but existed well before this date as the Printing Trades General Workers' Union. This union merged with the PKIU in 1992.
Federated Photo Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia
The Federated Photo Engravers were active from 1910 as a small union of skilled workers in South Australian and Victorian newspaper officers. They registered federally in 1942 as Federated Process Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia. They were then deregistered in 1943, and then reregistered under the same name in 1943. It changed its name to the Federated Photo Engravers Photo-Lithographers & Photogravure Employees' Association of Australia in 1952. In 1986 it merged with the PKIU.