Socialist solidarity

BY RACHEL EVANS & LINDA WALDRON

MELBOURNE — With up to 10 picket lines across Melbourne and in Geelong over the past month, the Socialist Alliance has shown how it is possible to offer solidarity to fighting workers.

The Geelong branch of the alliance has organised a dozen street stalls with the Geelong Wool Combing workers, who are locked out because they have refused to cop a 26% pay cut. The stalls have raised more than $1000 for the picket line. Some passers-by commented that it was years since they had seen unionists doing street campaigning.

In Melbourne, the north-east and west branches have been rostering members to visit picket lines, as well as collecting money for the pickets in their area and distributing publicity calling for support for the workers.

The Socialist Alliance also organised a successful fundraiser for the Electrical Trades Union's picket line at Smorgon Steel and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union picket lines. Around $2700 was raised on the night.

The Smorgan Steel strikers present took great encouragement from being surrounded by supportive unionists, including metal workers who had been involved in earlier battles against Smorgon Steel.

AMWU organiser Tony Mavromatis told the crowd that the ACI Box Hill workers were also dug in for a long fight against an intransigent boss.

From Green Left Weekly, June 11, 2003.

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From GLW issue 541