GREG COMBET

'Gregory Ivan Combet' AM (born April 28 1958) is an Australian trade unionist and has been Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) since 2000. Combet is married to Petra Hilsen and has one daughter (Anna), one stepdaughter (Clara) and one stepson Yannis Hilsen.
Greg Combet was born in Sydney and educated at the Universities of New South Wales and Sydney, where he studied engineering, economics and labour relations. He was a project officer for the New South Wales Tenants' Union before working for the Lidcombe Workers' Health Centre. In 1987, he was employed by the Waterside Workers' Federation (now part of the Maritime Union of Australia).
Combet's association with the ACTU began in 1993 when he became a Senior Industrial Officer. In 1996 he was elected Assistant Secretary, and in 2000, following the retirement of Bill Kelty, he became Secretary. Over his time at the ACTU, Combet has co-ordinated many union campaigns, including the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute in which he rose to prominence, as well as campaigns to secure entitlements and compensation for the staff of the collapsed airline Ansett and asbestos victims of the James Hardie company. In his capacity as Secretary of the ACTU, Combet is leading the campaign against the Howard Government's industrial relations law changes.
Combet is a director of the Chifley Research Institute.
On June 12 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
On March 25 2007, ''The Sunday Age'' reported that senior Australian Labor Party figures had announced that Combet would run for election representing the ALP in the safe seat of Charlton in New South Wales.^[1] However, later that day Combet told ''The Age'' newspaper that he was not planning an entry into federal politics at the 2007 election, preferring instead to continue leading the ACTU's campaign against the industrial relations law changes.^[2]
On 4 May 2007, Combet confirmed his intention to run for the ALP in the safe Labor seat of Charlton in New South Wales.^[3] Sitting member for Charlton, Kelly Hoare, expressed anger at losing her seat.^[4]
Combet will continue to the campaign for Rights at Work as ACTU Secretary up until the Federal election. On the 14 June 2007 Jeff Lawrence, National Secretary of the Liquor Hospitalities and Miscellaneous Union was elected unopposed as the next Secretary of the ACTU.^[5]
The role of Combet was played by Daniel Frederiksen in the 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation television series ''Bastard Boys'', dramatising the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute.

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References

1. Rudd drafts another star recruit to his team, ''The Age'', 25 March 2007.
2. Combet rejects rumours of standing for safe seat, ''The Age'', 26 March 2007.
3. Combet confirms he'll stand for ALP, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4 May 2007.
4. Combet painted as Charlton outsider, '', 31 May 2007.
5. [1]

External links

★ ACTU Profile

★ Your Rights At Work Website

★ Official MySpace profile