Norm Gallagher
Encyclopedia
Norm Gallagher was a controversial Australia
n trade unionist, and Marxist-Leninist who led the militant Builders Labourers Federation
as federal Secretary and as Victorian State Secretary.
Gallagher was raised in Melbourne
and joined the Builders Labourers Federation
(BLF) in 1951. By 1970, he was elected as the BLF's Victorian State Secretary and radically improved pay and conditions on building sites. His militant leadership style initially united union factions but later alienated the union from employers as well as the Victorian Labor
Government and other union leaders.
He was also a high-profile member of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
.
As Secretary of the union, Gallagher also acted to preserve the distinct Melbourne boulevards such as Royal Parade from development and many historic buildings from destruction including the Regent Theatre and the City Baths. A BLF black ban also protected the historic Bakery Hill site in Ballarat, where huge mass meetings were held in 1854 during the Eureka rebellion
, from development.
Norm Gallager faced many protests when he directed the Federal union to intervene in the affairs of the New South Wales branch of the union in the mid-seventies. Many of the democratic measures installed by the NSW Branch leadership by Jack Mundey
, Bob Pringle and Joe Owens and others were scrapped and many of the democratically imposed Green Bans were lifted. Officials of the NSW Branch eventually urged members to join the imposed branch, but were themselves blacklisted from the industry by Federal Union officials. The Federal takeover of the NSW Branch was instrumental in calling off many of the imposed Green Bans and the cancellation of the unions commitment to fighting for permanence in the building industry.
Following a Royal Commission
into the BLF's business affairs, it was deregistered. Gallagher was convicted of obtaining building materials from construction companies while he himself was building a house in Gippsland
. This was the first trial in Victorian history in which a jury was locked up for ten days until they delivered a verdict. Jurors later made statements that they had lost their freedom and were coerced to find Gallagher guilty. On appeal, the trial and verdict were declared "unsafe" and a retrial was ordered. Gallagher was freed after four months in gaol.
By 1992-93 the officials, staff and members of the BLF were exhausted, with Gallagher himself in ill-health. Bereft of funds, the BLF was forcibly amalgamated into the CFMEU.
From 1988 up to his death in 1999, Gallagher played a vital role in the struggle to re-organise the Communist Party and was a member of the National Preparatory Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Australia
.
Norm Gallagher died in Melbourne on 26 August 1999.
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 trade unionist, and Marxist-Leninist who led the militant Builders Labourers Federation
Builders Labourers Federation
The Builders Labourers Federation is an Australian trade union organisation which existed from 1911 until 1972, and from 1976 until 1986, when it was permanently deregistered in various Australian States by the federal Labor government and some state governments of the time. This occurred in the...
as federal Secretary and as Victorian State Secretary.
Gallagher was raised in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and joined the Builders Labourers Federation
Builders Labourers Federation
The Builders Labourers Federation is an Australian trade union organisation which existed from 1911 until 1972, and from 1976 until 1986, when it was permanently deregistered in various Australian States by the federal Labor government and some state governments of the time. This occurred in the...
(BLF) in 1951. By 1970, he was elected as the BLF's Victorian State Secretary and radically improved pay and conditions on building sites. His militant leadership style initially united union factions but later alienated the union from employers as well as the Victorian Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Government and other union leaders.
He was also a high-profile member of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Australia is an Australian political party based on the writings of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong...
.
- "Our union had a long history of concern for the environment. The Sydney union in the early seventies raised the question of the name 'green ban'. We were a bit old fashioned. We still call them 'black bans'. For instance, we were involved in the conservation issues as far back as 1940 when they were going to build a small goods' factory opposite the Royal Melbourne Hospital. We put a black ban on it, said that it would destroy the environment of that area. It would have had an effect on the patients of the Royal Melbourne Hospital." said Norm Gallagher in an interview.
As Secretary of the union, Gallagher also acted to preserve the distinct Melbourne boulevards such as Royal Parade from development and many historic buildings from destruction including the Regent Theatre and the City Baths. A BLF black ban also protected the historic Bakery Hill site in Ballarat, where huge mass meetings were held in 1854 during the Eureka rebellion
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
, from development.
Norm Gallager faced many protests when he directed the Federal union to intervene in the affairs of the New South Wales branch of the union in the mid-seventies. Many of the democratic measures installed by the NSW Branch leadership by Jack Mundey
Jack Mundey
Jack Mundey is a distinguished Australian union and environmental activist. He came to prominence during the 1970s for leading the New South Wales Builders' Labourers Federation in the famous Green Bans, whereby the BLF led a successful campaign to protect the built and natural environment of...
, Bob Pringle and Joe Owens and others were scrapped and many of the democratically imposed Green Bans were lifted. Officials of the NSW Branch eventually urged members to join the imposed branch, but were themselves blacklisted from the industry by Federal Union officials. The Federal takeover of the NSW Branch was instrumental in calling off many of the imposed Green Bans and the cancellation of the unions commitment to fighting for permanence in the building industry.
Following a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
into the BLF's business affairs, it was deregistered. Gallagher was convicted of obtaining building materials from construction companies while he himself was building a house in Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
. This was the first trial in Victorian history in which a jury was locked up for ten days until they delivered a verdict. Jurors later made statements that they had lost their freedom and were coerced to find Gallagher guilty. On appeal, the trial and verdict were declared "unsafe" and a retrial was ordered. Gallagher was freed after four months in gaol.
By 1992-93 the officials, staff and members of the BLF were exhausted, with Gallagher himself in ill-health. Bereft of funds, the BLF was forcibly amalgamated into the CFMEU.
From 1988 up to his death in 1999, Gallagher played a vital role in the struggle to re-organise the Communist Party and was a member of the National Preparatory Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Australia
National Preparatory Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Australia
The National Preparatory Committee of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Australia was a Marxist-Leninist communist organization in Australia that published the journal Eureka from 2000 to 2005....
.
Norm Gallagher died in Melbourne on 26 August 1999.