On June 27, Canberra CPSU members in the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) called on the ACTU to organise a 24-hour strike on August 19 to coincide with its "Cavalcade to Canberra" day of action against Howard's industrial legislation.
Paul Oboohov reports that other motions passed included a ban on the CES cutting unemployed people off the dole and for a campaign to inform the public about the effects cuts would have on public services. The meeting was prematurely closed, preventing further motions being put for meetings to be held before August 1 to consider strike action and calling on the CPSU national leadership to organise a real industrial campaign.
From Melbourne, Chris Slee writes that CPSU members in DEETYA held meetings across Victoria on June 25 and voted to ban "activity testing" — cutting people off the dole if they are considered not sufficiently "active" in looking for work. A motion for a Victoria-wide DEETYA strike on June 28 was passed at the Melbourne meeting but defeated on a statewide basis.
The meetings also passed a motion calling on the CPSU national executive to organise mass meetings for the whole federal public sector to vote on a strike motion by August 1, as well as a motion calling for a community awareness campaign.
Sue Bolton also reports from Melbourne that a meeting of left unionists was held on June 25 to discuss joint work in the trade union movement, especially against the Howard government's attacks.
The group is planning to present a supplementary motion to the Trades Hall Council delegates' rally on July 3 calling for a 24-hour strike on August 19. It argues that in order to defeat the Howard government's attacks, industrial action is needed alongside community rallies.
The group is seeking a broad range of endorsements for the motion. To endorse the motion, ring (03) 9329 1320 or 9329 1277.
A depot meeting of South Melbourne tram workers passed a motion calling on the ACTU to set a date for a 24-hour strike opposing Howard's proposed industrial relations legislation, writes Tully Bates. Meanwhile Tramweb, the rank and file group of the tram division of the Public Transport Union, has produced a bulletin supporting the call for a strike on August 19.
From Wollongong, Margaret Perrott reports that more than 1000 people took to the streets on June 25 to protest against the federal government's cuts to the public sector, Skillshare, tertiary education and other public service and welfare areas.
Organised by the Trade Union and Community Coalition, the march attracted large, vociferous contingents in support of the Skillshare program and the CPSU in particular.
The rally was addressed by the speakers from the CPSU, the Illawarra Area Combined Pensioner and Superannuants Federation, Illawarra Forum, the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union, Wollongong University Student Council, the Labor Party and the South Coast Labour Council.
Labour Council secretary Paul Matters called for a district-wide strike on August 19 to enable workers to attend the ACTU's protest rally in Canberra.