More than 5000 unionists marched from Belmore Park to Hyde Park calling for “justice”, “a better future” and to “show the bosses we mean business” on May 1. Jim McIlroy and Pip Hinman report.
Unions NSW
A delegation of unionists travelled to the Pilliga forest, in Northern NSW, in solidarity with the Gomeroi people resisting Santos' Narrabri coal seam gas mining operation. Jim McIlroy reports.
The NSW government enacted new anti-protest laws with Labor's support, but it is having difficulty getting its new anti-union laws through. Jim McIlroy reports.
Public servants are demanding fair pay rises and the permanent abolition of the 2.5% wage cap. Jim McIlroy reports.
The New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission has given close to half a million public sector workers a slap in the face for their efforts over a very difficult year, reports Jim McIlroy.
More than 60 unionists and supporters of the labour movement met after the Sydney May Day march on May 6 to discuss the next steps of the Right to Strike campaign.
The meeting, which built on the success of a previous meeting held on April 14, called for the critical addition of the right to strike as a core demand of the Australian Council of Trade Unions' (ACTU) Change the Rules campaign.
Delegates from several unions met in Sydney on July 28 and voted unanimously to call for a statewide day of action on October 18 in response to attacks on penalty rates, the ABCC, and the war on workers and their unions.
The meeting also voted to hold another combined unions delegates meeting in mid-September, to plan an ongoing campaign.
The motion was moved by Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU) delegate Denis McNamara and seconded by Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey.
Around 1000 people rallied in Martin Place on November 18 to protest the Coalition state government's moves to forcibly amalgamate local councils in Sydney and throughout New South Wales.
The rally began with a black coffin to mark the “near death experience for democracy in the state”.
The rally was held on the last day the NSW government had allowed for councils to “voluntarily” agree to merge. While some councils had submitted to the amalgamation push by the deadline, the majority have refused to surrender to the government's ultimatum.
The NSW Coalition government’s decision to privatise two large ports was announced in July last year. It expected to receive $3 billion from the sale.
NSW Treasurer Mike Baird said on April 12 that the consortium NSW Ports would buy 99-year leases for two of the state’s international ports — Port Botany for $4.31 billion and Port Kembla for $760 million. The total cost of the sale would be $5.07 billion.
An additional yearly lease payment of $5 million would be paid to the government and the annual on cap container movement of 3.2 million would be abolished for Port Botany.
