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Summer 2006

Past HACSU State Secretary Awarded Life Membership

On 21st September, past HACSU State Secretary, “Diamond” David Rees has been honoured by the union movement in Tasmania and awarded a life membership of Unions Tasmania in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the union movement in Tasmania.

Current HACSU State Secretary and President of Unions Tasmania Chris Brown presented David the life membership on a telephone conference. Also on the telephone conference were a number of colleagues and adversaries who all joined to wish David well and reminisce about times gone by.

Amongst the well wishers were past HACSU State Secretaries Jim Simmonds, Peter Imlach and Mike Hall; Lloyd Koerbin who was the first President of the Tasmanian Industrial Commission; Jack Mundey past State Secretary of the NSW Branch of the old BLF who worked with David in Sydney, Martin Jarman, Clive Willingham and Jane Cox all of whom "sparred" with David as industrial advocates for the State Government.

David Rees started his working life in the coal mining industry in St Marys/Cessnock (NSW), where he became active in unions at a grass roots level and later became a sub-branch secretary. He was injured in a mine accident and spent months in hospital recovering.

After recovering David went to Sydney and worked as a plant operator on the building of the Sydney opera house. He was elected as a Federated Engine Drivers & Fireman's Association (FEDFA) delegate as well as Secretary of the Worksite Committee for all unions. David and his committee organised the first ever concert at the Sydney Opera House, by inviting Paul Robeson to sing to the workers, long before the official opening. This concert was filmed by ABC television and has been shown many times over the years.

In his early 30s David was elected to the position of State Secretary of the FEDFA, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the position, which he held for a period of approximately 8 years.

In 1970 David came to Tasmania to take the position of State Secretary of the Tas. Branch of the FEDFA, from Smokey Taylor, who retired. Part of David's role was to be parttime Secretary of the Hospital Employees Federation (HEF) No.2 Branch. At that time the HEF had around 200 members and owned half a typewriter.

David built the HEF membership up to 1200 by the time he handed over to Jim Simmonds in 1976 and had successfully convinced the Committee of Management to become self reliant and eventually employ full-time officials.

David's experience with the FEDFA in NSW had given him a background in militant unionism and he used that to do many good things for Tasmanian workers, introducing many award changes that reflected metals award conditions that had been in mainland awards for many years. This included the Service Incremental Payments Scheme (SIPS) which David pushed through the State Wages Board. It was a considerable victory at that time.

In the early 1980s David came back to the HEF to serve as an organiser under Jim Simmonds as State Secretary No.2 Branch. Membership was again increased as David unionised both the private hospitals and nursing homes. There was resistance from the employers, but David used his skills and considerable charm to win them over and many employers used his knowledge of industrial matters to keep their workplaces operating - some accomplishment given the federal government funding cuts to these facilities. When Jim Simmonds was elected to the position of National Secretary of the HEF in 1986, David once again took over the role as No.2 Branch State Secretary. During this six year period (David retired in 1992) he was largely responsible for the amalgamation of the two Tasmanian Branches of the HEF and became the first State Secretary of the newly amalgamated Branch, making it the biggest union in Tasmania, and it remains so until this day.

As well as his industrial role, David was a founding member of the negotiating team that set up the Health Employees Superannuation Trust of Australia (HESTA). He also served on the Board of HESTA for many years and had at least one term as chairman of the board.

David has been approached to stand for politics by the ALP as well as being offered a position as an industrial commissioner. He declined both offers, instead choosing to continue applying his skills for working class people as a union official.
Mike Hall
Past Secretary HACSU