Bill Ludwig
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
Bill Ludwig (OAM) | |
|---|---|
| In office `1982–1988 | |
| South Western District Secretary for the Queensland Branch | |
| National President and Secretary of the Australian Workers Union | |
| In office 1st term 1989, second term 2001 – 1st term 1997, second term 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Patrick Ludwig 25 May 1934 Longreach, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 11 April 2022 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Politician (Trade Union Official) |
| Awards | Order of Australia (1997), Centenary Medal (2001) |
William Patrick Ludwig OAM (25 May 1934 – 11 April 2022[1]) was an Australian politician and trade union official, who served as National President and Queensland Branch Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union (AWU), from 1982, with a brief interruption from 1989 to 2017. He served two terms from 1989 until 1997 and from 2001 until 2017.
Biography
Ludwig was born in Longreach, Queensland on 25 May 1934, and was educated at Marist College in the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove. He began his working life as a shearer and remained in the pastoral industry until 1971 when he became an employee of the AWU.
In 1982 Ludwig was elected as the South Western District Secretary of the Queensland Branch of the AWU, a position he held until he was elected as the Secretary of the Queensland Branch in 1988.
Ludwig was head of the powerful Labor Forum or AWU Faction which dominates the Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party. Ludwig was a member of the ALP National Executive and Vice President of the ALP's Queensland Branch.[2] His son Joseph Ludwig was an Barrister and ALP Senator from Queensland[3] and was Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister Assisting on Queensland Flood Recovery.
In the 1997 Australia Day Honours he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "service to Industrial Relations through The Australian Workers' Union"[4] and in 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal.[5]
References
- ^ Tributes paid to former union boss and Labor powerbroker Bill Ludwig, who has died aged 87
- ^ Walker, Jamie (16 April 2011). "Bill Ludwig unloads on Kevin Rudd". The Australian.
- ^ "Labor's shadow men stuck knife into Rudd". 24 June 2010.
- ^ "William Patrick Ludwig". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "William Patrick Ludwig". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
External links
- Profile on the AWU National Website