120 Year Celebration

Celebrating 120 Years

We are 120 years old this year

Our story began when the plumbing trade was new

By the late 1890s, plumbing was becoming a distinct, recognised trade with its own identity, industrial organisations and training structure. In Australia, it was regulated with by-laws and its importance to public health was generally well recognised. This was the era when unions of employers would be involved in the negotiation of wage rates for workers. In addition to bargaining power, membership provided credibility, proof of a defined set of skills, mutual support and opportunities to meet and keep up with developments in the industry. The early 1900s also saw the introduction of new regulations that set standards of training and expertise and introduced licensing for some trades, including plumbing. The development of plumbing and sewerage infrastructure progressed slowly. For example, in 1908, when Perth’s limited supply of piped water was declared “almost entirely free of injurious micro-organisms”, most homes still relied on bores, wells or tanks for drinking water. In 1912, when the first sewerage treatment plant started operating, very few premises were connected to sewers. Most used dry-earth closets or the sanitary pan system that required night carts and some had septic tanks.

Our names over the years

In 1901, against the background of an emerging industry with all its new regulations, we were formed as The Perth and District Master Plumbers Association. In 1902, the name changed slightly when we were registered as The Perth and District Master Plumbers Industrial Union of Employers.

Since then, we have operated continuously with these name changes: • 1936 – The Master Plumbers’ & Sheetmetal Workers’

Association of Western Australia

• 1942 –The Master Plumbers’ Association of

Western Australia

• 1981 – The Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services

Association of Western Australia

• 2001 – The Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of Western Australia

The change of name in 2001 reflected the expansion of membership to include gasfitters who had belonged to the Gas Industry Association of Western Australia.

Although times have changed, the principles are the same

We are still a union of employers (registered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission under the Industrial Relations Act 1979) with a geographically defined membership base. Plumbing and gasfitting continue to be highly regulated industries and we strongly believe they must remain so for the good of the community. We work under a legal framework that includes:

• The National Construction Code, which includes the

Plumbing Code of Australia. • The following Western Australian legislation:

o Plumbers Licensing Act 1995 o Water Services (Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards) Regulations 2000 o Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage By-laws 1981 o Gas Standards Act 1972 o Gas Standards (Gasfitting and Consumer Gas Installations) Regulations 1999 Plumbing and gasfitting contractors and tradespeople still require licences and gain their qualifications through apprenticeships and theoretical training. We still stand for the belief that a regulated industry and properly qualified contractors and tradespeople have vital roles in the protection of the community, as shown in our branding strapline “Because public health matters”.