Campaign against ABCC launched in Geelong

GEELONG — On May 30, 150 workers attended the launch of the campaign against the Australian Building and Construction Commission and laws targeting building workers. The ABCC was set up under the Howard government and has been retained by Labor PM Kevin Rudd, who intends to let the commission run until 2010, when its powers will be transferred to 'Fair Work Australia'.

Speakers at the launch included the assistant secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Geoff Fary, and organisers from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Electrical Trades Union and the plumbers union. Both local ALP federal MPs sent their apologies for not attending the meeting. In a message passed on to the meeting, Darren Cheeseman, the federal Labor MP for Corangamite, said he would argue in caucus for the position unanimously adopted by the Victorian ALP conference that the ABCC should be abolished.

From GLW issue 753