Association for Communist Unity

Association for Communist Unity

Origins

In 1983, Prime Minister Bob Hawke's newly elected Labor government introduced the Prices and Incomes Accord, with the support of trade union officials from the CPA. The accord was an agreement between the federal government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions that limited unions engaging in industrial action for better wages and conditions, in return for promised increases to the "social wage".

The SPA and other left groups correctly opposed the accord as a tool for driving down workers' wages and living standards, while shackling unions.

A large group of SPA union officials, however, disagreed with the party's anti-accord position. They preferred to side with the Hawke government and ALP and CPA union officials in implementing the anti-worker accord.

A handful of these pro-accord officials were expelled from the SPA in 1983. A series of resignations from the SPA soon followed.

The split was mainly concentrated in NSW. The union officials who left the SPA included Pat Clancy, Bill Brown, Tom McDonald and Stan Sharkey from the Building Workers' Industrial Union (BWIU). Others were Pat Geragthy from the Seamen's Union of Australia (SUA), Tom Supple, Merv McFarlane and Wal Jennings from the Waterside Workers' Federation (WWF) and Don Henderson and John Garrett from the Firemen and Deckhands Union (FDU).

Numerous Maritime Unions Socialist Activities Association members also joined the avidly pro-Moscow and pro-accord Association for Communist Unity (ACU) that was formed by Clancy, Brown, McDonald and Sharkey in 1984.

The Broad Left Conference=

The Communist Party of Australia, Association for Communist Unity and others organized The Broad Left Conference, which was held 1986 28th-31st March, at the NEW SOUTH WALES INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Broadway, Sydney.