Errol Hodder
Errol Hodder joined the Australian Workers Union (AWU) in 1955 while working in the shearing industry in western Queensland. He worked his way up becoming Queensland Branch Secretary (1982-88) and Federal AWU Secretary (1988-91). He went on to serve on the Queensland and Australian Industrial Relations Commission (1991-2003) and played an active role in the ALP following the 1980 National Executive intervention into the Queensland Branch and leading to the return of the ALP to government in Queensland in 1989.
Errol Hodder
Biography
Errol Hodder worked in the shearing industry around Roma from 1955. He joined the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and rose to become the AWU State Secretary (1982-88) and the Senior Vice-President of the ALP in Queensland (1982-90).
Errol Raymond Hodder was born in Brisbane on 4 September 1938 attending Virginia State School and later receiving a Commonwealth Bank scholarship to attend the Australian Administrative Staff College in Victoria in 1976. He was awarded an American Chamber of Commerce Scholarship to attend the Harvard Trade Union Program, at the Harvard Business School, Boston, in 1980.
Hodder first joined the Australian Workers Union (AWU) in 1955 while working in the shearing industry in western Queensland. He took an active interest in union affairs and worked his way up from AWU Organiser (1969), to District Secretary and Queensland Branch Executive Member (1971-82), finally becoming Queensland Branch Secretary (1982-88) and Federal AWU Secretary (1988-91). He represented the AWU on the Australian Council of Trade Unions Executive (1984-89) and became ACTU Junior Vice President (1989-91).
Having first joined in 1960, he re-joined the ALP in about 1971 and went on to play an active role in the party, particularly following the 1980 National Executive intervention into the Queensland Branch. Hodder worked to achieve the return of the ALP to government in Queensland in 1989. Through this time, he also served on the ALP's Queensland Central Executive and as the party’s Senior Vice President (1982-90). He represented the Queensland Branch on the ALP National Executive as well as being a delegate to the ALP National Conference (1982-90).
Hodder went on to serve on the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (1991-2003) concurrently serving with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (1997-2003).
Since his retirement, Hodder has been engaged as an Arbitrator, as a Mediator and as a Chairperson of Misconduct Investigation Committees. He has facilitated Union/Employer Enterprise Bargaining negotiations. Hodder was a member of the Queensland Government Workplace Health and Safety Enforceable Undertakings Committee (2004-13) and since April 2012, an Ombudsman for the National Health Services Union. He has been employed as an Investigator into workplace issues on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, and is currently Chairperson of a Misconduct Investigation Committee appointed by the Vice Chancellor of the Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales.
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