At its state council meeting on June 11, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) strengthened its environmental policy, and pledged to support to the revolutionary process unfolding in Venezuela.
At its state council meeting on June 11, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) strengthened its environmental policy, and pledged to support to the revolutionary process unfolding in Venezuela.
Following a report from AMWU organiser Chris Spindler, who visited Venezuela for May Day on the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN) brigade, council decided to support future visits and invite Venezuelan activists to tour Australia.
The union sent its congratulations to the SIDOR steel workers and their union for having successfully nationalised their factory.
It read in part: "Re-telling your story helps us all ... we aim to build solidarity with your site ... and use your successes to show workers that struggle is possible and necessary to win."
The resolution continued: "We support the struggle [Venezuelan president] Hugo Chavez is waging for the working people of Venezuela and wish it every success ... we congratulate the government for using the wealth of the country to benefit the poor, landless and working people ...
"We are also with you in any hostile attempt by the United States to undermine the gains made in Venezuela by inaccurate and distorted publicity, promoting a hostile attitude in Latin America, or by direct intervention."
The AMWU will now regularly exchange information with the SIDOR workers and has decided to affiliate to the AVSN.
The union adopted a resolution on climate change which its environment committee had developed. Committee convener Wayne Klempel told Green Left Weekly that, while differences remain on what policies can deal with global warming, he thought the compromise resolution was a step forward from that adopted, after a passionate debate, at the AMWU's April conference.
The union emphasised that climate change is a serious threat to humanity and criticised the Rudd government's greenhouse gas emissions target as being too low.
The motion also states that in treating climate change as an economic problem rather than an environmental emergency "the Rudd government is unlikely to adopt the changes that are urgently required unless pressure is applied".
The policy unequivocally calls on governments to force polluting corporations to pay up, and not pass on these costs to workers. The AMWU sees the need for a mass movement, similar to the Your Rights At Work campaign, to stop global warming.
While the union doesn't oppose the government-corporate push for "clean coal", it does state its skepticism about whether carbon capture and storage technology will reduce emissions. It believes that the research and development initiatives should be predominately funded by private industry and audited by relevant government bodies.
The AMWU is also skeptical about whether carbon trading will be effective in reducing greenhouse gases. The union reaffirmed its anti-nuclear stance and called on relevant governments to support workers in any transition to a low- or zero-carbon economy by guaranteeing appropriate income, training and working conditions.
While Klempel is positive about the environment resolution, he sees the need for the union to have more discussion and education on solutions to global warming.
"There are some big challenges ahead. Unions cannot support destructive projects, such as the desalination plant or the newly-proposed brown coal power station in the La Trobe Valley on the basis that they will 'provide jobs' or that 'if unionists don't do the jobs scab labor will'. The union movement has to show some leadership in the struggle to save the planet. After all, moving towards a low-carbon economy will create many more jobs", Klempel concluded.