Petition for a national work stoppage

Sue Bolton

The Coalition government's anti-worker Work Choices legislation, rammed through federal parliament just before Christmas, is due to be enacted on March 29.

Many unionists believe that the union movement needs a national stoppage to signal to employers and the government that they will face industrial action if they attempt to use the new anti-union laws. They also recognise that a future Labor government is more likely to repeal the laws if the union movement keeps campaigning strongly to defeat the legislation.

For this reason, unionists around the country are circulating a petition calling on the ACTU to organise a national stoppage and protests in March, when the new legislation is enacted. The petition states:

"We call on the Executive of the ACTU to meet urgently to organise a national stoppage and protests on the day the Work Choices legislation is enacted in MARCH 2006.

"We believe the union movement needs an industrial campaign as well as the community campaign to prevent employers and the government from enforcing the anti-union laws."

Prominent unionists who have endorsed the petition include: Martin Kingham, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Victorian secretary; Dave Oliver, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Victorian secretary; Chris Cain, Maritime Union of Australia WA secretary; Joan Doyle, Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union postal and telecommunications branch Victorian secretary; Tim Gooden, Geelong Trades Hall secretary; John Morgan, general secretary of the Shearers and Rural Workers Union; and Kevin Reynolds, CFMEU WA secretary.

If you want to sign the petition or can help distribute it, get a copy from , or contact Sue Bolton at or on 0413 377 978. All petitions must be received by the ACTU by February 5, in time for its next executive meeting.

From Green Left Weekly, February 1, 2006.

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From GLW issue 654