`We'll show the Liberals how to fight back!'

By Jason Cheng

MELBOURNE -- A mass meeting of 3000 shop stewards and delegates from all unions affiliated to Trades Hall on October 29 unanimously passed a motion to hold a 24-hour stoppage and rally of workers on state awards on November 10.

The meeting was called by Victorian Trades Hall Council because of the lack of consultation and negotiation by the Kennett government in its industrial relations package. The package is aimed at undermining workers' collective bargaining strength and cutting living standards.

“We simply want to keep what we've got”, said VTHC Secretary John Halfpenny, who defended the centralised bargaining model. His speech, often punctuated by rowdy applause, condemned the Liberals' “hit list”: abolishing the 38-hour week, abolishing overtime and penalty rates, fines on workers for “unsatisfactory behaviour”, axing Workcare benefits, outlawing industrial action and imposing huge fines on unions and individuals, and removing the role of arbitration unless the employer agrees.

Other speakers explained that women, youth and workers from non- English speaking backgrounds would suffer most under the Liberal government.

Discussion centered on an amendment to the official motion which called for federal award workers to be included in the stop-work, for power workers to shut down power supply and for workers to stop public transport. Halfpenny spoke against the amendment, which was lost.

The meeting ended with an angry march on Parliament House, where unionists chanted: “What do we want? Kennett's head!”

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