We’re with you, at work
Who is the CWU?
The CWU is the Union for postal, telecommunications & broadband, call centre, information technology and pay-tv workers.
The CWU Central Branch represents these workers across NSW, ACT, QLD, SA, NT and WA.
CWU Central Branch Officials are located across Sydney, Albury, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and visit every member workplace, in person, annually.
A Union is formed when a group of employees in a particular trade or industry come together to defend and advance their pay and working conditions, collectively.
The CWU advances the interests and defends the rights of its members across our covered industries. We provide members with support, advocacy and representation when negotiating with employers. Union affairs tend to be very time consuming and therefore full-time Union Officials are necessary to do the various jobs that must be done if a Union is to succeed in its aims.
The CWU is a strong, efficient and progressive Union, staffed by dedicated Officials experienced in dealing with management at all levels.
Our long, proud history
The CWU is the Communications Division of the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU) – a national trade Union structured over three autonomous divisions, representing workers across the wider communications, electrical and plumbing industries.
The CEPU was formed in 1994 following an amalgamation of the Communication Workers Union of Australia (CWU), the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and the Plumbing and Gasfitters Employees’ Union (PGEU/PTEU).
The CWU Central Branch was formed in 2022 following the consolidation of the NSW/ACT, QLD and SA/NT Branches of the Communications Division.
In 2025, the WA Branch amalgamated into the CWU Central Branch structure.
A timeline of our history:
1912 the Australian Letter Carriers’ Association and the Australian Telegraph, Telephone Construction & Maintenance Union (later known as the Australian Postal Linesmen Union of Australia) were both registered federally
1924 the Australian Letter Carriers’ Association changed its name to the Commonwealth Public Service Fourth Division Employees’ Union of Australia only to amalgamate a year later with the Postal Sorters’ Union of Australia and the Australian Postal Linesmen Union of Australia to form the Amalgamated Postal Linesmen Sorters’ & Letter Carriers’ Union of Australia
1926 the newly amalgamated Union becomes known as the Amalgamated Postal Workers’ Union (APWU), covering posties, mail sorters and telecommunications linesmen
1974 the APWU changes its name to the Australian Postal & Telecommunications Union (APTU)
1990 the Union of Postal Clerks and Telegraphists (UPT) merges with the APTU
1991 the Australian Postmasters’ Association merges with the APTU
1992 the Postal Supervisory Officers’ Association merges with the APTU
1992 the Australian Telecommunications Employee Association/Australian Telephone & Phonogram Officers Association [ATEA/ATPOA] amalgamates with the APTU to form the Communication Workers Union. The former APTU and ATEA/ATPOA State Branches retain autonomy in the new structure as the ‘Postal & Telecommunications’ (P&T) and ‘Telecommunications & Services’ (T&S) Branches, respectively, under a single National Office
1993 the Telecommunication Officers Association [TOA] merge with the Postal & Telecommunications Branches of the CWU
1994 the CWU amalgamates with the Electrical Electronic Plumbing & Allied Workers Union of Australia (the end product of a merger between the ETU and the PGEU/PTEU a year earlier), to form the Communications Electrical Electronic Energy Information Postal Plumbing & Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU). The CEPU is a single federally registered entity, whilst the three Divisions continue to operate with autonomy in their undustries.
Between 1994 and 2006 consolidations of P&T and T&S Branches across Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia / Northern Territory and Tasmania occur.
2022 the New South Wales Postal & Telecommunications, Queensland and South Australia / Northern Territory Communications Divisional Branches amalgamate to form the CWU Central Branch within the Communication Workers Union Division.
2025 the Western Australian Divisional Branch merges with the CWU Central Branch.
Our secure, autonomous structure
Today, the CEPU currently represents almost 100,000 workers, Australia wide, making us one of the largest trade Unions in Australia.
Through a Divisional structure, each Branch of the CEPU operates autonomously and maintains a close relationship with its members.
At an overarching National level, the Communications Division is represented on the Executive of the amalgamated CEPU through proportional representation.
The Communications Division of the CEPU is known under the Union’s Rules as the Communication Workers Union Division (or CWU Division) and is administered on a national level through a Divisional (National) Office.
The Divisional Officials and Executive are directly elected by the membership of all branches which belong to the Communications Division, nationally.
The CWU Central Branch is governed by it’s own Executive, the Branch Committee of Management, directly elected by the Branch’s members every four years – along with full-time elected officials as prescribed in the Union’s Rules.
The CWU Central Branch is affiliated to the following organisations:
- The Labor Council of NSW (Unions NSW);
- The Queensland Council of Unions (QCU);
- United Trades and Labor Council of South Australia (SA Unions);
- Trades and Labor Council of WA (Unions WA)
- Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA); and
- the Australian Labor Party
The Branch is administered centrally from 15 Parkes Street, Parramatta, in NSW and operates satellite offices, with Officials based in Sydney, Albury, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
