Worth Fighting For

Ray Gietzelt was a key figure in trade union and labor politics in the second half of the 20th century and his memoirs are an essential and entertaining part of AustraliaaEURO (TM)s history. A war veteran who had trained as a chemist, he joined both his fatheraEURO (TM)s company and the Federated Miscellaneous Workers Union when he was demobbed in 1946. He quickly became involved in the fight to rid the union of autocratic control. Bitterly contested elections saw him win control of first the NSW and then the Federal branches of the union. He proved one of the most successful union secretaries. A militant policy of membership control of collective bargaining, a program of amalgamation with smaller unions, and an intolerance of corruption, saw the union grow from 22,000 members in 1955 to 122,000 members on his retirement in 1984. Lionel Murphy, Bob Hawke and Neville Wran were among GietzeltaEURO (TM)s closest friends and allies. Gietzelt was able to deliver them crucial support at key times, and they in turn provided support and advice in his battles to maintain control of the union, including the fight to repel the aEURO coupaEURO attempted by SantamariaaEURO (TM)s National Civil Council in the 1970s.