Trade Unions were organisations formed by workers in an industry that fought for better pay and working conditions for its members. The 1830s saw the start of the trade unionism with many craftsman coming together to pay workers unemployment, sickness and funeral benefits. The number of trade unions increased during the 1860s

and 1880s with miners, seamen, wharf labourers and shearers also forming unions of their own.

Seamen’s Union 1874 Sydney, Melbourne

The name “Maritime strike” is somewhat misleading as a number of unions were involved in the strike. The Maritime strike in 1890 began with Queensland shearers forcing pastoralist to employ union labour only. The president of the Amalgamated Shearers Unions, William Guthrie Spence, demanded similar concessions from pastoralist from other colonies. Pastoralist, after already giving into the demands of Queensland shearers refused. When this happened Spence ask the Sydney Wharf Labourers Union to not load “black” wool (wool shorn by non-union labour) onto ships.

In the same year several unions including the seamen’s Union, Miner’s Union and the Shearers Union all lodged for pay increases and better working conditions. On August 16 1890 when employers refused marine officers went on strike in the ports of Adelaide and Northern Queensland followed by wharf and seamen workers. This was particularly devastating for the growth of the colonies as it threatened shearing and exporting of wool. Strikes in the south west coal fields of New South Whales also threatened the mining and exporting of the colonies coal.

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