Susan Austin, Hobart

Kevin Harkins, state secretary of the Electrical Trades Union in Tasmania, spoke to Green Left Weekly about the June 28 national day of action against Howard’s Work Choices laws.

It is “a damn fine idea”, he said. “You need to keep the industrial relations issues at the forefront of people’s minds, and highlight the inequalities it creates. People are angry and want to do something about it, and a rally provides a mechanism for people to demonstrate their opposition in a collective way.”

Harkins explained that “already, a number of employees have felt the impact of the new Work Choices legislation, having been sacked by Tasmanian businesses in the last week. Many of our members are also affected by the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005.”

On March 14, the ETU held a rally in Hobart to discuss members receiving threatening letters about their participation in an industry campaign last December for better wages and conditions. The letters, from the Australian Building and Construction Commission, demanded that workers explain their participation in the campaign.

Harkins said, “Workers’ rights are under attack from both sets of legislation, so we’ll be making sure our members are well aware of the June 28 demonstrations”.

From Green Left Weekly, April 12, 2006.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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