Sue Bolton, Melbourne
Union delegates from the Geelong region who met on March 1 sent a clear message to the Australian Council of Trade Unions: it must show leadership by calling for a national strike against the federal government's new industrial relations laws.
The meeting voted unanimously for a resolution that called on the ACTU to organise a national strike on the day Work Choices is enacted, and to call a national stop-work and rallies in May, but not later than June 7, as recommended by the Victorian Trades Hall Council at its February 24 executive meeting.
Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden told Green Left Weekly that around 60 delegates from a wide range of unions attended the meeting, which had been called at short notice because "it had become apparent that some of the union leaderships were wavering on whether the movement should take action at a national level".
Gooden added that for the last few weeks union delegates had been asking him what the movement's next action against the new industrial laws would be and he had only been able to reply that some senior union officials had been on holidays so no action had been set. "But that excuse was wearing a bit thin", Gooden explained. "Delegates in this region are saying that the laws are coming up next month so we should be doing something this month."
Gooden told the meeting that the ACTU would decide whether or not to call an action at its March 7 executive meeting. He explained that there was no certainty about its decision because some ACTU executive members opposed organising more nationwide stoppages or protests.
During the discussion, delegates made many suggestions about the sorts of action that were needed. There was strong support for a strike on the day the new laws are proclaimed.
Gooden told GLW: "The delegates want to send the bosses a strong signal that the trade union movement as a whole, not just individual workers in individual workplaces, will be fighting this campaign. Everyone was keen for the other elements of the ACTU campaign to continue, but the best way to send the bosses a message is to take industrial action."
From Green Left Weekly, March 8, 2006.
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