Sue Bull, Geelong
Nobody in Geelong can remember a rally that was bigger than the one on November 15. The unions estimate that up to 30,000 people rallied — that's one in seven Geelong residents.
Every building worker and metalworker was there, but for once they were outnumbered by health workers with purple balloons, teachers in their orange ponchos, council workers, public servants, vehicle builders and shop assistants. Several postal workers attended despite being threatened with $22,000 fines. Even the Liberal mayor showed up.
Many protesters brought their children, as they felt strongly about the future impact of the legislation and want their kids to understand and fight the injustice.
The rally marched through the streets chanting, "Hey ho, hey ho, John Howard has to go". The speakers included trade union leaders, politicians, rank-and-file workers and Bob Maguire, a witty and passionate priest who said he had nicked off from his 1pm mass to attend because workers' rights are so important.
Geelong Trades Hall (GTH) secretary Tim Gooden put a resolution about the future of the campaign (see "Our Common Cause" on page 7) that was carried unanimously, then invited everyone back to a barbeque at GTH. Some wit shouted out, "Geez, I hope you've got enough sausages for 30,000 of us". They didn't all show up, but it was standing room only.
Later, Gooden told Green Left Weekly: "We are going to continue the campaign against these laws, through education, 'name and shame' actions, zero cooperation, civil disobedience or industrial action — whatever it takes to make the laws unworkable.
"I have sent the resolution to the ACTU and the Victorian Trades Hall Council calling on them to organise general strikes in the new year to take the fight to the bosses. Bad laws are one thing, but the deciding battle is whether the bosses can implement them and sustain them during a long period of industrial campaigning."
From Green Left Weekly, November 23, 2005.
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