WA left unionists organise

May 15, 1991
Issue 

WA left unionists organise

By Catherine Brown

PERTH — In recent months, a number of WA unions have disaffiliated from the ALP. Now, a group has emerged called Left Unionists, united around an anti-Accord perspective.

Several unions are represented in the formation, which includes rank-and-file members as well as officials. The group distributed a leaflet at May Day slamming the Accord.

Earlier, the ACTU leadership, the Hawke government and the Accord all came under fire along with the Industrial Relations Commission at the April meeting of the Trades and Labor Council.

Condemning the IRC's national wage decision, TLC assistant secretary Rob Meecham also cautioned against expectations that the ACTU wages campaign would go beyond the Accord Mark 6. Rather than the usual resigned acceptance, response to the report reflected growing anger among delegates, especially those in the government sector.

Overwhelmingly, delegates slammed collusion between the ACTU and the Labor government to reduce living standards and demobilise the union movement. Several spoke out for a genuine fight back rather than a fake ACTU campaign.

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