Unions force Court to back down

By Anthony Benbow PERTH — After a three-month campaign of union action, the Western Australian government has been forced to back down on in industrial relations "reforms". In emergency negotiations with union officials on November 6-7, Premier Richard Court agreed not to go ahead with most of his "second wave" of anti-union laws. The original form of Court's legislation restricted the rights of union officials to enter workplaces, made secret ballots compulsory before making "political" donations or taking industrial action and instantly cancelled the state award of any workers who applied for federal award coverage. WA workers responded with a campaign of industrial action. This included a 10,000-strong rally on August 22, a 24-hour statewide strike and interstate blockade on October 17, and numerous rolling stoppages in many industries. Campaigns against health and education were already under way. The actions have cost WA's business sector millions in lost profits. Energy workers have agreed to put strike plans on hold, but warned: "If Court reneges on any of his promises, we'll go out for 72 hours, not 24". While Court's withdrawal of the legislation's more obnoxious features is definitely a victory for workers, some parts of the reactionary bill remain.