Nick Everett, Canberra
On May 25, 80 union delegates attended a seminar on the theme “Your rights at work” at the Weston Creek Labor Club. The seminar, organised by Unions ACT, was advertised as an information session “on the proposed draconian changes to the federal industrial laws together with details of the local and national campaign to fight back!”
ACTU educator Nada Delavea spoke to the meeting about the likely impact of the laws, arguing that unionists needed to lobby Coalition MPs in marginal seats to “moderate” the worst aspects of the government's planned legislation.
Lindy McIntyre, a representative from the New Zealand Council of Unions currently in Australia at the invitation of the ACTU, spoke about community campaigning.
During discussion, National Tertiary Education Union delegate Rick Kuhn argued that unions were more effective when they were prepared to mobilise their members in strike action.
When a delegate argued that ACT unionists should join the stop-work protest rallies taking place in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane on June 30, Unions ACT secretary Peter Malone argued that the campaign committee set up by Unions ACT felt that “there was not sufficient support for the idea amongst members of affiliated unions for a rally to be successful”.
McIntyre stated that “you can't stop these laws with a single rally” and Delavea claimed a rally “will be on the news for a day and then everyone will forget about it”.
Debate ensued about the merits of taking industrial action to enable maximum participation in a protest rally.
At the end of the debate Malone took a “straw poll” on whether to hold a rally during the ACTU's week of action. An overwhelming majority voted in favour. The issue will be discussed further at the next Unions ACT meeting on June 1.
From Green Left Weekly, June 1, 2005.
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