Paul Howes

Recent Speaker

Secretary Australian Workers Union

January 30, 2008

Address to the National Press Club of Australia

Paul Howes is 26 years old and as the National Secretary of the AWU, in succession to Bill Shorten, he has a testing job.

Despite his age he's formidably experienced in organising, rallying, enthusing and eyeballing corporate leaders.
 
At Beaconsfield, for instance, alongside Bill Shorten and Ian Wakefield of the Tasmanian AWU, he helped elevate that suspenseful mining saga into legend. A historic moment when Australians once again realised that unionists were people too, and good people, good neighbours, decent helpful citizens.

Beaconsfield was an exhausting gig. It shaped him and fired him and steeled him.

It’s an extraordinary honour for Paul Howes to lead this 121 year old organisation; with 135,000 members it is the biggest blue-collar union in the country and has deep roots in Australia’s soil, its history and culture.

Paul is married to Lucy with two children, Sam and Zoe.


Issues broached in the talk will include:
- The future direction of the 135,000 member AWU;
- The future of Australia's Steel and Manufacturing Industry;
- The resources industry and the Labor Government