By Melanie Sjoberg
ADELAIDE — More than 60 union officials and rank and file gathered for a seminar on April 16 to discuss strategies for fighting the Brown Liberal government's economic rationalist agenda and the need for renewing the labour movement.
In South Australia, as in other states and federally, economic and social policies are being driven by a frantic desire to eliminate the government deficit. It is described in sensationalist terms as a black hole, untenable, of enormous magnitude and definitely something to be managed. This faith in the mystery and power of debt reduction has driven public sector slashing.
The establishment media have collaborated by presenting people with only the bleak figures of economic doom. We were offered reams of horror about the mismanagement of the previous Labor government and of the absolute necessity of job reductions and public sector funding cuts.
The Brown government has even surpassed its target for job cuts. More than 13,000 redundancy packages had been taken up in the public sector by the end of 1995, while the plan was for 12,400 by December 1996.
Most working people find themselves worse off. The majority have had nothing more than two $8 safety net pay rises since 1991, and average weekly earnings have declined.
Public sector infrastructure has been decimated. Gas, water, information technology, Bank SA, Pipelines Authority, State Clothing, State Print, State Chemistry Labs, State Government Insurance, several schools and major building assets have been sold. Health and education have suffered major budget cuts (education $62 million, TAFE $15 million, health $80 million in the past two years).
Job creation in SA has not matched predictions nor kept up with other states. In 1993-95 Australia wide, jobs grew by 7.1% but in SA by only 2.9%. The government claims to have created 3390 jobs, but losses in the public sector alone are more than 13,000 — health and education each copping more than 1900. Major retailers, David Jones and John Martins, have just announced massive lay-offs from their Adelaide stores due to slow demand.
Assistance to business, supposedly to encourage job creation, has been largely hidden by the establishment media. Reports in the Financial Review estimate that the SA government has provided Motorola $20 million, Galaxy $30 million, Westpac $30 million plus many other smaller handouts such as $2.5 million to Gerard industries and $4 million to Sola Optical.
The working conditions of most public sector workers are stretched. Campaigns amongst nurses and education workers are centred on workload as well as pay rises. Hospital closures and staff shortages have left long waiting lists.
The retention level for students in year 12 has decreased. Class sizes are increasing, school support staff report young children coming to school without attention to illnesses because parents can't afford medical treatment.
Represented at the April 16 seminar were the Community and Public Sector Union; SA Institute of Teachers; Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union; Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; the United Trades and Labour Council; and Adelaide University Labour Studies.
James Juniper, University of SA economist, characterised the neo-liberal agenda of contracting out and privatisation as an outgrowth of the Hilmer report. He described the agenda as one in which markets are meant to be self-regulating. By creating a wider gap between rich and poor, neo-liberalism might herald a return to the "confrontationist days" of class struggle.
Juniper argued that there were three ways in which the agenda could be challenged: "subversion", operating within the existing system; "resistance" through opposition to the privatisation and outsourcing program; and "replacement", which involved the development of an alternative policy agenda.
A national researcher for the AMWU, Nixon Apple, provided a controversial insight into one view of the industry development policies of the ALP federal government. He bemoaned the ALP election loss, stating that this country would have been turned around by the year 2000 and that we would look back on the ALP years with joy.
Apple supported the export focus of industry policy and claimed that the manufacturing sector had benefited. He projected alliances with the business sector as a necessary aspect of formulating an alternative agenda and defending jobs.
CPSU researcher Pat Ranald offered a more down to earth perspective. She outlined the attacks and changes being imposed on the Australian Public Service — enormous cuts to jobs and departmental erosion. She proposed a strategy that included organising within workplaces and across agencies along with the need to build community alliances.
Two important themes generated in discussion were taken up further in workshops during the afternoon — the rebuilding of the union movement and the need for an alternative media. Alliances, particularly amongst community groups and activists, were also strongly supported.
A common criticism was that the trade union movement has been seen as too arrogant and distant from the membership. Mick Tumbers, AMWU state secretary, said that union officials had to learn to listen to the ranks. The workshops provided an opening for many people to raise their views about the need for more active workplace organisation and democracy.
There was a recognition that the union movement should build upon previous successes and its history of militant struggle linked to broader political demands. Cross-union campaigns were called for, as well as genuine participation and sharing with community groups.
Former premier Don Dunstan presented the final speech of the day, criticising any view that absolved the ALP of responsibility for privatisation, cutbacks and implementation of a neo-liberal agenda. However, his solution was to rejoin the ALP and fight for a socially responsible government.
The relationship between the ACTU/labour movement and the ALP came in for strong criticism. Several speakers endorsed the view that unions needed to be independent and saw the Accord years as a period that should be criticised and learned from. This was formalised in the strategies document developed by the CPSU/PSA.
Several contributions recognised that Adelaide has extremely limited opportunities for unions and progressive campaigns to get their message to a wider audience. The only newspaper in town is Murdoch-owned, and the TV and radio generally reflect the same conservative views. Calls were made for an alternative media that could provide that voice. (Green Left Weekly sold well in the lunch break).
The conference did not adopt any concrete proposals, but heard reports that the public sector unions were pursuing a 15% wages claim with methods including membership meetings and some cross-union public actions.