Labour history forum calls for IR protests

BRISBANE — On March 12, 75 people crowded into the Terminus Hotel in South Brisbane to discuss the impact of the federal Coalition government's industrial relations agenda.

Organised by the newly formed Brisbane Labour History Association, the forum was addressed by a number of union officials, including Queensland miners' union president Andrew Vickers, Transport Workers Union state secretary Hughie Williams and National Tertiary Education Union state secretary Howard Guille.

"There have been many disputes in the history of the union movement, but I think it is fair to say that the union movement has never been faced with such a big challenge as Howard's agenda", said former Builders Labourers Federation NSW secretary Jack Mundey.

The forum unanimously endorsed a resolution calling on the Queensland Council of Unions and all its affiliated unions to support the development of a broad campaign against the anti-union legislation, including a possible mass protest rally before July 1, and to work to make Labour Day 2005 a massive workers' protest against the Howard government's attacks.

Andrew Martin

From Green Left Weekly, March 23, 2005.

Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

From GLW issue 620