By Pip Hinman
MELBOURNE — When 200,000 people take to the streets, as they did on November 10 despite the rain and patches of hail, the atmosphere is hard to describe. Photographs taken with a wide-angled lens or from helicopters can only begin to paint what is being described as the biggest march since the Vietnam Moratorium movement, or even the biggest march ever in Australia.
It extended around at least several city blocks, the head of the march reaching Parliament House before the rear had left the rallying point at Treasury Gardens. Thousands more demonstrated in Geelong (20,000), Ballarat (10,000), Bendigo (7000), Mildura (5000), the La Trobe Valley, Wodonga and Shepparton. Those who demonstrated against the Kennett government's industrial relations laws made it clear that they were not going to bow to his attempts to decimate the public sector and restrict basic democratic and union rights.
A sense of great power permeated the march as the crowd kept growing, amazing many who were experiencing this for the first time. "Isn't this great!", many a marcher was heard saying to the person alongside. Wonderment turned to confidence and then to vocal anger as the crowd railed at Kennett outside parliament.
Organisers had a hard time getting marchers to move past Parliament House — most wanted to stay. The middle of the march came to a standstill near the corner of Swanston and Bourke Streets and swelled onto footpaths as workers tried to move forward. Some climbed signposts and traffic lights to try to see what the hold-up was. Thousands of marchers never got to Parliament House.
After the march finally dispersed, a carnival-like atmosphere prevailed in city streets as tired but exuberant demonstrators celebrated their new sense of collective strength.
Many unions — including the State Public Services Union, the Australian Nursing Union, the Building Workers Industrial Union and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association — had organised pre-rallies for their members, who then marched to join the main rally at Treasury Gardens. So thousands demonstrated for up to five hours that day.
The previous day Kennett had tried to dismiss the rally as a mechanical display organised by union officials which would get the support only of the confused and easily manipulated. But the incredible array of handmade placards and banners said otherwise.
"1 + 2 = Kennett's IQ", "Don't get Jeffed, get unionised" and every possible variation of advice to Kennett to insert his legislation into all sorts of uncomfortable places, indicated the angry mood of the marchers. One man of ample proportions, who had "Jeff Kennett is an arsehole" painted on his T-shirt, was cheered wildly as he walked along the streets. Union banners that had hardly seen the light of day forced industrial peace were resurrected.
While business leaders from the Australian Chamber of Manufacturers and the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry claimed that only 10% of private sector workers went on strike, there was a wide range of workers at the march, including many first-time demonstrators. State and some federal public sector workers were strongly represented, and there were even contingents from the zoo, the art gallery and the museum.
Trades Hall secretary John Halfpenny was cheered as he addressed the rally at its start. He called on the Kennett government to negotiate its industrial relations package with the unions. But later, after official attempts to end the rally failed and he was called on to speak a second time to the tens of thousands who stayed outside Parliament House chanting for Kennett's head, Halfpenny vowed that Trades Hall would not accept any amendments to Kennett's industrial relations legislation. It must be withdrawn or repealed, he declared.
"We will fight you as long as it takes to defend what we've got", he warned Kennett.
No former Labor government officials dared address the crowd. Before the march set off, Joan Kirner (who had refused to endorse the strike) peeked out from the safety of Parliament House steps while former transport minister Peter Spyker was spotted leaving Treasury Gardens as the rain started. Former treasurer Tony Sheenan, now in the hot seat as news of Labor's loans scandals leaks out, looked rather out of place as he walked alone in the crowd, stopping occasionally to greet people and then scurrying on to avoid the glares from others.
Meanwhile, the government introduced 80 amendments to the Employee Relations legislation in the Legislative Council on November 10 and debated the issues for a marathon 21 hours and 19 minutes. The bill then went to the Legislative Assembly, where it was passed in the early hours of the morning on November 13.
Little of significance was changed. Employees may now keep their existing weekend penalty rates if they can negotiate it into their new employment contract. But penalty rates will be banned in any new awards created after March 1 and for all new employees or people switching jobs.
The amendments also redefined secondary boycotts, which remain illegal, along the lines of sections 45D and E of the federal Trades Practices Act. The 19th century-inspired provision allowing employers to fine workers for disobedience, misbehaviour and non-attendance has also been scrapped. There was a possibility that the severe restrictions on the right to strike might apply also to workers under federal awards in the original bill, but this has been excluded, Kennett saying that that was never intended.
Kennett claims that workers and conditions will not be attacked. But some eager employers have given the game away. The state opposition released a contract drawn up by a Sunshine mobile home company which requires employees to provide their own safety equipment and work from ys a week. The contract bans penalty rates and holiday loadings and allows workers to be sent home without pay if work is unavailable on certain days.