Rival Unions and Registration: The Australian Federation of Air Pilots and the Air Pilots Guild of Australia, 1969 to 1979

Abstract

In 1959, the Australian Federation of A ir Pilots effectively withdrew from the system of compulsory arbitration. From that point until towards the end of 1979, the Federation was content to remain outside the system. However, this allowed the development of something else rare in Australian industrial relations—the emergence of a rival union, the Air Pilots Guild of Australia. This paper seeks to examine the relationship that existed between the two unions in the period 1969 to 1979, and its influence in leading the Federation, for so long set against the idea of compulsory arbitration, to seek registration under the Act. The conclusion of the paper is that the emergence of the Guild had a most important, if unintended, bear ing on the decision by the Federation to seek registration.