Melbourne delegates set rally

By Chris Slee

MELBOURNE -- A meeting of 400 shop stewards voted on August 28 to support a Trades Hall Council community and union rally against privatisation on September 14, as part of a national day of action.

In addition, they supported an amendment from the floor for a 24-hour strike on September 21. THC secretary John Halfpenny accepted the amendment, but said it would be up to affiliated unions to decide whether the strike goes ahead.

Halfpenny strongly condemned both the Labor and Liberal parties for their policies of privatisation, contracting out and cuts to public sector jobs and services. He said there is “no difference in real terms between the major parties”.

Arguing for the rally, Halfpenny pointed out that it is necessary to bring together all the union and community groups opposing privatisation. Currently there are only scattered “pockets of resistance”.

Speakers from the floor pointed to the need for a political alternative to the Labor and Liberal parties. A call from one delegate for unions to disaffiliate from the Labor Party and build such an alternative received an enthusiastic response from delegates.

Halfpenny was less enthusiastic. Forgetting his previous statement that there is “no difference” between the major parties, he started emphasising that Labor is not as bad as the Kennett government. This missed the point made by previous speakers: that we need a positive alternative, not just a choice between two pro-privatisation parties.

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