Thousands of building workers rallied and marched in all major cities on May 20 against the stripping back of awards. It has been many years since building workers have mobilised on a national basis.
Under the federal government's Workplace Relations Act (WRA), all awards are due to be stripped back to just "20 allowable matters" (20 minimum conditions) on July 1.
Since January 1, 1997, when the WRA was enacted, employers have been able to apply to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to strip conditions from awards. The weaker unions in the hospitality and printing industries were targeted first, with employers attacking penalty rates and succeeding in having a number of conditions removed.
For unions which haven't been able to roll award conditions into existing agreements, and for workers with no unions to protect them, the provisions of the WRA relating to award stripping will automatically come into operation for all awards on July 1.
The Master Builders Association (MBA) and other employer associations are seeking to pare back severely the building industry awards. At the Sydney rally, John Sutton, national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union's (CFMEU) construction division, listed some of the changes that would follow if the employers succeed. They include the removal of present restrictions on the use of casual labour, the introduction of permanent part-time workers and wages being paid every three or four weeks instead of weekly, a nightmare scenario in an industry full of fly by-night contractors.
Other attacks include a reduction in weekend penalty rates and the removal of clauses relating to working in inclement weather, access to amenities, first aid, six-hourly meal breaks and the right of unions to look at time and wage books.
Employers are also demanding that workers be available to work at the employers' behest, six days a week "subject to project requirements".
In Brisbane, Nick Chesterfield reports that 2000 building workers rallied and marched to the offices of the Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the MBA.
Wally Trohear, CFMEU construction division state secretary, told the rally that the trend towards casualisation through the increased use of permanent part-time labour would lead to even less job security. He also said that under the WRA, the maximum weekly award wage of $1400 would be reduced to $667.12, plus $29 superannuation.
Trohear predicted that "Howard and Reith will be calling building workers bludgers by the end of the year" and advocated a two-fold strategy to defeat the WRA: at the ballot box and on the streets.
Jeff Knight, Queensland secretary of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union's plumbing division, told the rally that while a Labor government would make things easier, "you cannot rely on the politicians". The key is to mobilise workers on the streets and through industrial action, he said.
At the Melbourne rally of more than 4000, Michael Bull reports, the Victorian state secretary of the CFMEU construction division, Martin Kingham, outlined a three-pronged strategy for the campaign against the Howard government: a 24-hour stoppage, targeting employers who cut award conditions with severe industrial action and opposing the re-election of the Howard government.
The rally expressed its solidarity with the pro-democracy struggle in Indonesia by inviting Edwin Gozal, international representative of the People's Democratic Party, to speak.
From Sydney, Shane Bentley reports that the rally of more than 7000 called for the defence of awards and an end to corporate rorting. The second demand referred to the use of bankrupt labour hire companies by Patrick Stevedores to sack Maritime Union of Australia members.
A delegation of miners from Cobar — victims of asset stripping, company liquidation and an employer refusing to honour its obligations to its workers — joined the rally.
Jennie George, ACTU president, reminded demonstrators that the difference between conditions in the building industry today and 50 years ago is the result of years of struggle for better conditions. She said that while many enterprise bargaining agreements in the industry have better conditions than under the award, employers would try to strip away those conditions once agreements expired.
The mood at the rally was defiant, buoyed by both the MUA struggle and the upsurge in Indonesia. Some of the comments during the march included: "Judges and politicians grant themselves 10% wage rises, while we have to prove how productive we are. What about their productivity?"
Others stated their admiration for the pro-democracy movement in Indonesia, with one worker suggesting, "We should do what the Indonesians are doing and throw out Howard".
MUA members addressed many of the rallies, a representative of Women of the Waterfront addressing the Sydney rally. They thanked building industry workers for their support during the maritime struggle and pledged that the MUA would stand beside building workers in their own struggle.
Further stoppages will be held around the country if employer associations do not withdraw their proposals by May 28. There will be a 48-hour stoppage in June.