Norm Gallagher

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Norm Gallagher (20 September 1931 - 26 August 1999 ^[1]) was a prominent Australian trade unionist, and Marxist-Leninist who led the militant Builders Labourers' Federation as federal Secretary and as Victorian State Secretary.^[2]

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).

"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.^[3]

Norm Gallagher as Secretary of the union also acted to preserve the distinct Melbourne boulevardes such as Royal Parade from development^[4] and many historic buildings from destruction including the Regent Theatre and the City Baths.^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[7]

This was the first trial in Victorian history that a jury was locked up for ten days until they would deliver 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 in to the CFMEU

From 1988 up to his death in 1999 he 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^[8]

Norm Gallagher died in Melbourne on 26 August 1999.

[edit] References

1. ^ Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Australia
2. ^ Australian Trade Union Archives Biographical entry Accessed August 25, 2007
3. ^ Interview with Norm Gallagher regarding Lee Street Carlton and the BLF acting for environmental reasons. Accessed August 25, 2007
4. ^ Interview with Norm Gallagher regarding Lee Street Carlton and the BLF acting for environmental reasons. Accessed August 25, 2007
5. ^ Rescuing the Regent Theatre by Louise Blake September 2005 Number 4, Public Record Office, Victoria. Accessed August 25, 2007
6. ^ A Eureka Diary: commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Eureka Rebellion by Takver. See also Interview with Julie New Accessed August 25, 2007
7. ^ Union boss Norm Gallagher dies at 68 ABC Radio transcript PM Archive - Thursday, 26 August , 1999. Accessed August 25, 2007
8. ^ EUREKA - A Worker's Journal. Vol. 1 No 1 June 2000