the rapid decline of the manufacturing sector in Australia, falling from 200,000 in 1995 to 157,000 in 2005. Losses then accelerated, membership more than halving over the following decade to 68,008 in 2017. National Secretaries 1973: Jack Garland 1981: Jack Kidd 1988: George Campbell 1996: Doug Cameron 2008: Dave Oliver 2012: Paul Bastian 2020: Steve Murphy Political Activity The AMWU is one of the most powerful unions in the Labor Left faction of the Australian Labor Party. During the 2010 Australian federal election the CFMEU and AMWU donated a total of $60,000 to the Greens. Further reading Reeves, Andrew and Andrew Dettmer (eds.) Organise, educate, control: the AMWU in Australia, 1852-2012. Clayton, Victoria: Monash University Publishing, 2013. . References External links Australian Trade Union Archive entry for AMWU Trade unions in Australia Manufacturing trade unions Trade unions established in 1972 1972 establishments in Australia