Ray Gietzelt, AO,
was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 29 September 1922, the younger son of
Arthur Anton Gietzelt and his wife, Ida Caroline, nee Stoward. He was the middle
of three children. His older
brother, Arthur, would, like Ray, become prominent in the Labor Party.
Ray’s
father owned a tyre business in Newtown which was initially successful but
failed during the Great Depression
when clients were unable to pay their bills. The family lived in Sans Souci, in
the St. George district but struggled financially, often unable to pay their
rent. After various ventures, his
father had some success setting up a small chemical company, Getz Products but,
the family’s hardship had a profound effect of the two sons who, in adult life,
worked to achieve changes to welfare and social justice.
Gietzelt, like his brother, left school at the age of 14, to help the
family. In 1940, he joined the FMWU (Federated Miscellaneous Workers Union)
which covered chemical workers. He
was working a 44 hour week at a chemical company, Incorporated Laboratories,
while studying chemistry two nights a week at Ultimo Technical College.
In 1942 Ray joined the Army and was soon in Papua New Guinea with brother
Arthur, in the 9th Field Company, Royal Engineers, building a road
over the Own Stanley Ranges to get supplies to the troops in the north fighting
the Japanese. He was demobbed in
September, 1945, and, in December married Violet May Hinchcliffe at Rockdale.
They established their home in the Sutherland Shire near his brother, Arthur.
When war ended in 1945, Gietzelt joined the family firm, rejoined the
FMWU and soon became involved in union matters. In 1953, he led an internal
left-wing ‘Protest committee’ to try to remove the dysfunctional, right-wing
control of the FMWU. He later wrote
a book ‘Worth Fighting For’ about
these struggles. The challenge, including appearance in the Conciliation and
Arbitration Court, was successful and Gietzelt assumed office in the NSW branch
of the union in 1954. He became General Secretary of the FMWU , the youngest to
ever hold this office when he was elected in 1955, a post he held until his
retirement in 1984. The FMWU is now known as United Voice, one of Australia’s
biggest unions.
At this time, the union was low on money and membership. The union
covered cleaners, watchmen, security guards, manufacturing workers and other
miscellaneous groups. Gietzelt set
about modernising and democratising the union, opening up the structure to rank
and file participation and encouraging the involvement of women. He introduced
collective bargaining and encouraged amalgamation with smaller unions.
Membership increased from 22,000 in 1955 to 122,000 when he retired in
1984.
In 1970, Gietzelt initiated a review of the NSW branch of the National
Executive of the Labor Party which led to rule changes, opening up and
democratising the NSW Party.
Following these changes, Labor went on to win Federal government in 1971 and
State government in 1976.
In 1971, Gietzelt and some of his union associates received several
anonymous. threatening phone calls.
When the home of his brother, Arthur, was bombed, there was speculation that a
mistake had occurred and that Ray Gietzelt was the intended victim.
Ray Gietzelt had close personal and lifelong friendships with three
important Labor figures: former
Prime Minister and ACTU President, Bob Hawke; former NSW Premier, Neville Wran;
and former ALP Senator and later High Court judge, Lionel Murphy.
Some contemporary journalists dubbed him the ‘kingmaker’ or ‘The Godfather’.
On his retirement in 1984, it was said of Gitzelt that ‘his’ union had ‘never
lost a strike or broken its word with any employer, industrial tribunal or
kindred organisation’. He was
also known for refusing to allow his officials to accept ’gifts’ and building
the ‘Missoes’ into the fifth largest union in the country.
After retiring, Ray Gietzelt served as a director on the board of Qantas
and was a member of the Automotive Industry Authority.
In 1986, he helped to set up the Lionel Murphy Foundation to provide
postgraduate scholarships, to students studying science or law, and served as
its secretary for many years.
In 1985, Ray Gietzelt was awarded an Order of Australia and, in 2003, a
life membership of the ALP.
In his retirement, he continued to live in the Sutherland Shire, working
in his garden, remaining physically fit and active and surfing at his beloved
Cronulla Beach.
Ray Gietzelt died on 12 October 2012, aged 90 and was cremated at
Woronora Cemetery. He was survived
by his wife, Violet, daughters Suzanne and Joanne, son-in-law Ray, six
grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Violet Gietzelt died on 23 November
2013 and was cremated at Woronora Cemetery.
References:
Wikipedia
NSW BDM
Sydney Morning Herald
–Obituary/Harriet Vietch
Parliamentary Debates
(Senate)– Obituary/John Faulkner
United Voice
– Vale Ray Gietzelt/ Jeff Laurence
Worth Fighting For
– a memoir/ Ray Gietzelt
Tribune – 17 Mar 1971
