Liam Mitchell, Sydney

Around 150 people marched through inner-city Glebe on March 25 to protest against the Howard government’s Work Choices legislation. The rally was organised by Inner West Your Rights at Work (IWYRaW).

Rally speakers included the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union’s NSW secretary, Andrew Ferguson; Unions NSW deputy assistant secretary Matt Thistlewaite; and Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon. A number of bands donated their time and talents.

Ferguson told the crowd about the harassment of CFMEU members by the government’s building industry task force. After the November 15 workers’ rights rallies, the task force started investigating whether the construction workers who did not go to work that day were on sick leave, on an organised day off or on strike.

Commenting on the battle to defeat Work Choices, Ferguson said: “This battle will not be won in the courts. It will be won in the hearts and minds of the members of the community.”

He added: “We need the mobilisation of people on the streets, in the towns and in the workplaces. By mobilising locally we can build opposition to these laws.”

IWYRaW was established to take the unions’ message about the destruction of working conditions out to the community, including through regular stalls in suburban shopping centres. IWYRaW spokesperson Amanda Bryant told Green Left Weekly: “The federal government plans to take away our basic rights at work and we are fighting to stop that ... The new laws mean our unions will not be able to protect us on the job or help us fight for better wages and conditions. As a unionist, I’m not prepared to let that happen, and there are thousands more like me in Sydney’s inner west.”

IWYRaW meets weekly and is seeking involvement from more people. Phone Amanda on 0423 388 974 or Hannah on 0418 668 098.

From Green Left Weekly, March 29, 2006.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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