National secretary and national assistant secretary step up after Sheldon looks to Senate
Transport Workers Union (TWU) members have endorsed Michael Kaine and Nick McIntosh to lead the union in an uncontested election.
Kaine and McIntosh will continue in their roles for the next four years as national secretary and national assistant secretary respectively, following an Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) confirmation.
Of the two, McIntosh may be less well-known outside New South Wales.
According to the TWU, he became a NSW branch in member services in 2006 and moved into the role of legal officer soon after, becoming Wollongong sub-branch secretary in 2013. He held the position of NSW branch assistant secretary from 2016
Read about Tony Sheldon’s move to contest a Senate place, here
“The TWU has the sole focus of improving the lives of transport workers. We’ll continue to build the activism among our members so they can demand fair pay, safe conditions and job security across the transport industry,” he says.
“Workers across the globe face huge challenges from corporate power which forces operators to undercut each other to win contracts. Our union is committed to fighting for fairness throughout the supply chain, taking on fights at a yard and port level but also holding those with the power to account.”
Kaine and McIntosh took up their positions in August after the previous national secretary, Tony Sheldon, stepped down to run for the Senate.
The union says Sheldon remains in the TWU for the coming months supporting the transition and working to ensure decent labour standards on government projects as well as fighting for rights in the on-demand economy.
“We take great encouragement from yesterday’s announcement that TWU members fully back our plan to grow this union and end the race to the bottom in the transport industry,” Kaine says.
“This is another great show of unity amongst our membership that gives us the strength to take on the wealthy retailers, manufacturers, airports and airlines at the top of transport supply chains and hold them to account over working conditions.
“Over recent months, our branches and TWU members have stood together in protests, in negotiations and where necessary in protected action to demand a fair go for all transport workers.
“With our mighty membership behind us, we put wealthy retailers like Aldi, and booming profit-reaping airports and airlines on notice that we won’t stop fighting for safe and secure jobs across the entire transport industry.”
“Our branch secretaries (John Berger – Vic/Tas, Peter Biagini – Queensland, Ian Smith – SA/NT, Tim Dawson – WA, Richard Olsen – NSW) have triumphantly led members through the first phase of our 21-year-plan for growth.
“I look forward to working with them on the next phase of our mission to ensure workers in the transport industry have the power to fight for their rights,” Kaine added.
The TWU notes Kaine is the leading figure behind the Safe Rates strategy and the concept of a road safety watchdog and also co-chairs the ACTU’s Change the Rules committee.
Kaine and McIntosh jointly led negotiations for enterprise agreements with some of Australia’s biggest transport companies including Toll and Linfox, helping workers to win record-high superannuation, fair rates and workplace rights.