Age, Biography and Wiki

Ray Gietzelt was born on 29 September, 1922 in Sydney, is an Australian trade unionist. Discover Ray Gietzelt's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 90 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 90 years old
Zodiac Sign Libra
Born 29 September, 1922
Birthday 29 September
Birthplace Sydney
Date of death 12 October, 2012
Died Place N/A
Nationality Australia

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 September. He is a member of famous with the age 90 years old group.

Ray Gietzelt Height, Weight & Measurements

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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

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Ray Gietzelt Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Ray Gietzelt worth at the age of 90 years old? Ray Gietzelt’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from Australia. We have estimated Ray Gietzelt's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
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Timeline

1922

Ray Gietzelt AO (29 September 1922 – 12 October 2012) was a major figure in the Australian union movement in the latter part of the 20th century.

Ray Gietzelt was born in Sydney in 1922.

His father owned a tyre business in Newtown that collapsed during the Great Depression as his clients found themselves unable to pay their bills.

As a Consequence, the family had to move a number of times in search of cheaper rents.

1940

In 1940 he went to work for a chemical company known as Incorporated Laboratories.

At that time he joined the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia (FMWU).

He also studied chemistry at Ultimo Technical College at nights.

1941

In 1941 he joined the Australian Army and served in Papua New Guinea with the 9th Field Company of the Royal Australian Engineers, until discharge in 1945.

He married later that year.

He then joined a small chemical company, Getz Products, run by his father.

He resumed his membership of the FMWU despite working in a junior management position.

He became active in the campaign by a left-wing group known as the Protest Committee to wrest control of the FMWU from an entrenched right-wing faction that was seen as not accountable to the members.

The matter proceeded to the Conciliation and Arbitration Court, where the Protest Committee was represented by Lionel Murphy, and the union leadership by John Kerr.

The court ruled in favour of the Protest Committee.

1955

He led the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia (FMWU; later known as United Voice) from 1955 to 1984.

Ray Gietzelt exerted major influence in the careers of Bob Hawke, Neville Wran and Lionel Murphy, and he was made a Life Member of the Australian Labor Party.

The former Australian senator and Sutherland Shire mayor Arthur Gietzelt was his elder brother.

Gietzelt became General Secretary of the Union in 1955, at the time being Australia's youngest federal secretary of a union.

FMWU membership increased from 22,000 in 1955 to 122,000 on his retirement in 1984.

It was said that, under Gietzelt's leadership, the FMWU union never lost a strike or broke its word with any employer, industrial tribunal or kindred organisation.

He was a member of the Australian Labor Party and journalists named him "kingmaker" because of his influence in the careers of senior Labor figures such as his close friends Bob Hawke, Neville Wran and Lionel Murphy.

1959

They also won the highly publicised Arthur Murray dispute in 1959, in which the union took up the cause of dance instructors and ran the first ever successful prosecution of a company for a lock-out in NSW.

1967

He was elected to an executive position on the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in 1967.

Bob Hawke credited him with being the single most significant figure in helping him gain the leadership of the ACTU.

Brian Harradine, a Tasmanian delegate from the Right, opposed Hawke's candidature, and Ray Gietzelt was instrumental in having Harradine censured and later expelled from the Labor Party.

1970

In July 1970 he supported federal intervention into the New South Wales Branch of the Labor Party.

This led to some democratisation of the branch, including the introduction of proportional representation.

1983

Hawke later became Prime Minister of Australia (1983–91), and Ray Gietzelt's elder brother Arthur Gietzelt, a Senator for New South Wales 1971–89, was his Minister for Veterans' Affairs 1983–87 (Arthur had served with Ray in Papua New Guinea during World War II).

Ray Gietzelt helped Neville Wran secure caucus support for him to become party leader (and later Premier of New South Wales), and organised numbers for Lionel Murphy to become a Senator (and later Attorney-General in the Whitlam government).

1984

He remained in that post until his retirement in 1984.

Gietzelt modernised the union, facilitating rank and file participation and encouraging the involvement of women.

He oversaw a change in the union's strategy to include more direct bargaining between the union and employers rather than relying on arbitration courts.

During this period the union won a number of important victories.

They successfully ended the degrading ″bull system″ for casual waterfront watchmen that saw workers waiting in line to be picked by the boss for work.

1985

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1985.

He served on the board of Qantas and as a Member of the Automotive Industry Authority.

1986

Together with Wran and Whitlam, in 1986 Gietzelt helped establish the Lionel Murphy Foundation which awards scholarships to postgraduate students of science or law with a commitment to social justice.

2003

He was awarded life membership of the Australian Labor Party in 2003.

2004

He published his memoirs, Worth Fighting For in 2004.

2012

Ray Gietzelt died on 12 October 2012, aged 90.