Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers
Encyclopedia
The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) is both an Australia
n professional association and a trade union
. They are registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
and are affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
.
The AIMPE represents engineers in coastal shipping, the offshore oil and gas industries, towing and dredging.
They cover, in the maritime industry, employed and unemployed marine engineers, engineers or electricians on ships, people in training to be a marine engineer, officers of AIMPE, (when holding appropriate certification) power plant engineers, and (when holding appropriate certification) Charge Engineers and Assistant Charge Engineers employed in New South Wales by Caltex Refining. AIMPE also cover independent contractors who meet the criteria listed. According to the AIMPE's rules, the maritime industry is an operation on any sea going vessel. It excludes shore based operations in the maritime industry outside of shore based training.
Their membership is extremely expensive for an Australian trade union (>$1500 per annum, compared with $337 for the TWU
for example). The AIMPE's status as association with a membership base of highly qualified professionals has much credence with shipowners. However, it raises jealousy with the unskilled maritime unions most notably the M.U.A., to the extent that the M.U.A. have broken solidarity with the other maritime unions and have a policy of dealing with foreign shipowners to man vessels working out of Australia, but have third world Mates and Engineers.
The AIMPE is very concerned with the use of flags of convenience by employers as a way of avoiding occupational health and safety conditions and employment conditions.
Even with the demise of the Australian maritime industry, there are now more members registered with the Institute than at any other time. This being due to the offshore industry requiring rigorously trained and certified engineering staff.
Their federal president is Terry Snee.
), while also having the anti-boss `Not for one but for all' mentality of a trade union.
The AIMPE began as a craft union, using a monopoly on skill to bargain with employers. The general increase in the level of skill over the 20th century has broken this skill monopoly. Given the sometimes forcible merger of small craft unions into large industrial unions in Australia, it is unusual that the AIMPE has not merged with the industrial union in the maritime industry, the MUA
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional association and a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. They are registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Australian Industrial Relations Commission
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission, or AIRC , was a tribunal with powers under the Workplace Relations Act 1996. It was the central institution of Australian labour law...
and are affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
.
The AIMPE represents engineers in coastal shipping, the offshore oil and gas industries, towing and dredging.
They cover, in the maritime industry, employed and unemployed marine engineers, engineers or electricians on ships, people in training to be a marine engineer, officers of AIMPE, (when holding appropriate certification) power plant engineers, and (when holding appropriate certification) Charge Engineers and Assistant Charge Engineers employed in New South Wales by Caltex Refining. AIMPE also cover independent contractors who meet the criteria listed. According to the AIMPE's rules, the maritime industry is an operation on any sea going vessel. It excludes shore based operations in the maritime industry outside of shore based training.
Their membership is extremely expensive for an Australian trade union (>$1500 per annum, compared with $337 for the TWU
Transport Workers Union of Australia
The Transport Workers Union of Australia is a trade union with over 80,000 members throughout Australia. It has 5 main branches in Australia* Australian Capital Territory/New South Wales* Queensland* Victoria/Tasmania...
for example). The AIMPE's status as association with a membership base of highly qualified professionals has much credence with shipowners. However, it raises jealousy with the unskilled maritime unions most notably the M.U.A., to the extent that the M.U.A. have broken solidarity with the other maritime unions and have a policy of dealing with foreign shipowners to man vessels working out of Australia, but have third world Mates and Engineers.
The AIMPE is very concerned with the use of flags of convenience by employers as a way of avoiding occupational health and safety conditions and employment conditions.
Even with the demise of the Australian maritime industry, there are now more members registered with the Institute than at any other time. This being due to the offshore industry requiring rigorously trained and certified engineering staff.
Their federal president is Terry Snee.
History
The AIMPE official website recognises the conflict of interest it has, that marine engineers have, "endeavoured to find a commonality of interest with their employers" in "a world where capitalist efficiency could lead to excesses against which workers felt it necessary to protect themselves by combining for fair wages and conditions." The AIMPE has historically been divided between a professional organisation supporting the bosses (much like APESMAAssociation of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia
The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia is an Australian employee association registered under state and federal industrial relations acts. This makes it, effectively, a trade union for the purposes of worker-employer bargaining; APESMA is affiliated with the...
), while also having the anti-boss `Not for one but for all' mentality of a trade union.
The AIMPE began as a craft union, using a monopoly on skill to bargain with employers. The general increase in the level of skill over the 20th century has broken this skill monopoly. Given the sometimes forcible merger of small craft unions into large industrial unions in Australia, it is unusual that the AIMPE has not merged with the industrial union in the maritime industry, the MUA
MUA
Mua may refer to:* Mua, MalawiMUA may refer to:* Mail user agent, another term for an email client* Make-up artist* Manipulation under anesthesia* Maritime Union of Australia* Marvel: Ultimate Alliance* Medical University of the Americas – Nevis...
.