Text and photos by Julie Webb-Pullman.
692
On November 15, 2000 members of the Electrical Trades Union packed Dallas Brooks Hall to discuss an initial response to the federal governmentÂ’s denial of a common law agreement between the ETU and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) that covered 10,000 workers and about 1000 employers.
One of the biggest lies that the corporate media has relentlessly pushed for many years is that the trade union movement is a “special interest group”. They argue this because only 23% of workers are members of trade unions today. However, studies show that the great majority of workers look to unions to defend their rights at work, would join unions if given the opportunity and if they didn’t risk being penalised by their boss.
John Parker, secretary of Victoria’s Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, condemned the findings of the federal government’s panel of so-called experts on nuclear energy. “Any attempt to build a nuclear power plant in Gippsland will be strongly resisted”, he said on November 22.
On November 17 the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) claimed that workersÂ’ occupational health and safety rights have been cut by PM John HowardÂ’s government. Changes to the federal OHS act mean that employers, both public- and private-sector, will no longer have to include unions in OHS consultations.
Government and business representatives attending a Work Choices seminar at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on November 21 were met by protesters who described the meeting as a discussion about “exploiting workers, destroying unions and sacking people at will”.
Packer protesters trial
The abbreviated report on the trial of Packer protesters in GLW #689 may have given some readers the impression that everything is rosy. In fact, only one charge was dropped — the charge of failure to obey a police
Debate continues over how guest workers and those on 457 visas should be treated. The WA branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) passed a resolution at its July state conference that recommends avoiding falling into the federal government and bosses’ divide-and-rule trap.
“A visit by US officials has raised fears on Christmas Island that an immigration detention centre could be turned into a Guantanamo-style prison”, the November 17 Melbourne Age reported.
Australian unionists have a wealth of experiences to draw on in the fight against the Howard governmentÂ’s Work Choices legislation. Lessons can be drawn not just from the historic victories and defeats of the union movement in this country, but also from the experiences of working-class struggles in other countries.
More than three thousand people had a somewhat surreal experience on November 18. They attended a rally, called by the Melbourne Stop the War Coalition and Stop G20, to oppose the genocide by poverty being promoted by the finance ministersÂ’ meeting, and the warfare that makes the corporate plunder of the Third World possible.
The following statement was issued on November 25 by the socialist youth organisation Resistance.
- Previous page
- Page 2
- Next page