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| Australian Performing Arts Workers Union | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Performing Arts Workers Union |
| Founded | 20th century |
| Location country | Australia |
| Members | (est.) |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
Australian Performing Arts Workers Union is an Australian trade union representing technicians, stagehands, designers, dressers, propmakers and other behind-the-scenes workers in theatre, opera, dance, film and live events. The union negotiates industrial instruments, campaigns on occupational health and safety, and provides training and legal support for members engaged in touring, venue operations and production services across states and territories. It operates within a national industrial relations framework while engaging with cultural institutions, peak bodies and regulatory agencies.
The union traces roots to craft-based organisations that developed alongside the rise of Australian theatre, Sydney Opera House programming, and touring circuits established by companies such as Bell Shakespeare, Australian Ballet, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Melbourne Theatre Company. Early industrial actions intersected with disputes involving employers like Hoyts, Village Roadshow and management entities connected to Tamworth Country Music Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and the Adelaide Festival. The union engaged with landmark regulatory moments including negotiations around the Industrial Relations Act 1988 (Cth), debates during the tenure of Prime Ministers such as Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, and later reforms under governments led by John Howard and Julia Gillard. Its campaigns have been shaped by disputes involving production houses like Opera Australia, broadcasters such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and venues including the Sydney Theatre Company and HOTA.
Membership comprises technicians from theatre, opera, dance, circus, film and television, including workers employed by entities like Screen Australia, Fox Studios Australia, Paramount Pictures (film) facilities in Australia, regional companies such as Queensland Theatre and independent producers at festivals such as Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The union is organised into state branches operating in jurisdictions including New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania (Australia), liaising with industrial tribunals such as the Fair Work Commission and historical bodies like the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales. Membership categories reflect professional streams represented by associations like Designers Australia and training providers such as National Institute of Dramatic Art and Victorian College of the Arts alumni networks.
The union has run campaigns addressing casualisation in workplaces tied to companies such as Crown Resorts entertainment operations, venue contracting practices at institutions like City of Melbourne cultural venues, and safety incidents at major events including Sydney Festival and Vivid Sydney. It has allied with organisations such as United Voice and the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union on cross-sectoral workplace safety and employment standards, and partnered with arts peak bodies like the Australia Council for the Arts and Live Performance Australia on sector resilience during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic under ministers like Greg Hunt and Paul Fletcher.
The union negotiates enterprise agreements and awards affecting employees of producers including Opera Australia, Circa Contemporary Circus, Australian Chamber Orchestra and venue operators like Melbourne Recital Centre. It participates in proceedings before the Fair Work Commission to contest wage outcomes, dispute clauses related to touring conditions used by promoters such as Chugg Entertainment and TEG Live, and to secure provisions for redundancy, rostering and overtime in instruments influenced by legislation like the Fair Work Act 2009. Collective agreements often reference standards promoted by international bodies such as the International Labour Organization and sector templates prepared by Live Performance Australia.
The union advocates for occupational health and safety measures in rigging, electrical work, fly systems and pyrotechnics used in productions by companies like Cirque du Soleil performing in Australia, and standards for load-in/load-out operations at venues like Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Rod Laver Arena. It engages with statutory regulators such as Safe Work Australia and state regulators like WorkSafe Victoria and SafeWork NSW to improve incident reporting, fatigue management for touring crews, and hazard controls for set construction used in productions by directors associated with Griffin Theatre Company and Belvoir St Theatre.
The union develops and endorses training pathways linked to institutions including TAFE NSW, Victorian TAFE programs, Australian Film Television and Radio School courses and conservatoires such as Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. It provides workshops on rigging, lighting technology, stage carpentry and contract law for workers engaged with festivals like Perth Festival and companies like Sydney Dance Company, and collaborates with unions such as Australian Council of Trade Unions to promote apprenticeships and recognised traineeships.
The union engages in lobbying and public campaigns with politicians and policymakers such as members of the Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens representatives, and cultural ministers who have overseen arts portfolios including Michael Arts (placeholder) — historically leveraging relationships with parliamentary committees and inquiries into the arts. It coordinates with industry stakeholders including Australia Council for the Arts, Live Performance Australia and employer groups in submissions to inquiries on taxation, workplace relations and arts funding, influencing policy debates around pandemic relief packages, visa arrangements for international performers, and intellectual property regimes affecting creative professionals.
Category:Trade unions in Australia Category:Performing arts in Australia