Skip to content Skip to footer

JOin our union of over 150,000 workers from all walks of life, standing together to make a difference.

You're better off union.

United Workers Union is made up of over 150,000 members standing together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security at our workplaces and in our communities. By sticking together when we’re offered a dodgy deal, we’re able to get a better deal from work. It’s no coincidence that union members earn, on average, 32% more than non-members.

We’re going to continue fighting for what’s right and fair – but we need you with us. The bigger our voice, the stronger we become.

why join?

Join a Movement that Wins

When you’re union, you’re part of a national movement with a long history for standing up for what is right.

If you want a fairer Australia, joining your union is the best way to make a difference.

Back up and Support at Work

When you face poor treatment – like unfair dismissal, safety issues or harassment at work it’s important to be union.

At worksites across the country UWU Delegates, leaders and Health and Safety Reps have your back.

Training, Community & Information

Members have access to exclusive training and development designed to support you at work.

Being union also gives you access to a community of workers and expert information when you need it.

Better Pay and Conditions

United Workers Union members stand together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security.

Australian workers who are union members earn on average $250 more every week.

Join Your Union Today

Frequently asked questions

Unions were started by workers to give them a stronger voice at work and in the community. Unions collectively bargain for better pay and conditions, provide representation at work, and engage in community and political campaigns that impact members’ lives. Joining the union is joining a collective, standing together for a better future.

Every worker in Australia is covered by a specific union. United Workers Union covers over 1 in 4 Australian workers, so there’s a good chance we cover you. Our coverage can vary from state to state, but generally people in the following industries can join United Workers Union:

– Aged Care, Home care and Disability Support

– Ambulance officers & Paramedics

– Casinos and Clubs

– Cleaners

– Early childhood educators

– Farm, dairy and poultry

– Food and beverage manufacturing

– Health and Fitness

– Hospitality

– Immigration detention

– Laundries

– Logistics and supermarket supply chains

– Manufacturing

– Market Research and Call Centres

– Property services, incl. landscaping & caretakers

– Sales representatives

– Security officers

– Sports, racing and entertainment grounds

– Teachers Aids & Education Assistants.

– Tourist guides

If your industry is not listed here, you may still be covered, get in touch with us here.

No. The Fair Work Act 2009 states that in Australia, everyone has the right to be a member of a union. Your employer cannot discriminate against you or prevent you from being a member, or from seeking help from your organiser or local union office.

Union membership fees change slightly based on where you work and what you’re paid – most membership fees are $13.75 a week. The join form will display the right fee grade once you enter your occupation information, before you submit your details.

Yes, union membership is 100% tax deductible!

United Workers Union also sends members emails during tax-time with your total dues paid in the previous financial year – making claiming your due easy!

When joining online you can select to pay either by credit/debit card, or via direct debit.

You can also select your payment frequency: weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, so you can align it with your pay cycle.

 
Union members have won the rights and conditions we all enjoy today over decades of organising, campaigning, and taking action. Sick leave, weekends, overtime, annual leave, redundancy, penalty rates and long service leave, and universal superannuation were all hard-fought union wins. United Workers Union members defend these wins everyday by being union, and our fight for secure jobs, domestic violence leave, increased superannuation and other rights and conditions continues.

The United Workers Union has a long history – being a successor of the Watchmen, Caretakers and Cleaners Union of New South Wales (W.C.C.U), which was first established in 1910.

The W.C.C.U allowed workers from industries that weren’t represented by other trade unions to join – making it one of the first Australian unions to represent several highly casualised and isolated industries.

In 1915 the W.C.C.U amalgamated with the Victorian branch – changing the unions name to the Federated Miscellaneous Workers’ Union (fondly called the ‘Missos’) to represent the broad range of industries the union covered.

Members of the Missos played a key role in winning some of the conditions we might take for granted today – like paid sick leave, annual leave, and the forty-hour work week.

After more than 100 years and several amalgamations (the largest being the recent amalgamation of United Voice and the National Union of Workers), what was once the W.C.C.U is now the United Workers Union – one of Australia’s largest unions, with more than 150,000 members in 45+ industries.

Our website is hosted on 100% carbon neutral servers in Naarm (Melbourne). The United Workers Union is committed to creating the secure & future-proof jobs workers and their communities need as our country continues to transition to a net zero economy.

UWU acknowledges that we meet and work on the unceded lands of First Nations peoples. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past and present — and acknowledge the important role all First Nations peoples continue to play within Australia and in our union.

© United Workers Union 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Authorised by T. Kennedy, United Workers Union, 833 Bourke St, Docklands, VIC 3008