Sue Bolton
After much debate within the trade union movement, the ACTU-endorsed June 28 national day of protest against the Howard government's industrial relations laws has finally spread nationwide.
After the success of last year's two national mobilisations, on June 30/July 1 and November 15, many unionists had hoped for an early start to mass protests, community meetings, pickets and industrial action in 2006 to knock over the government's laws.
However, the year started with the majority of the ACTU opposing more mass protests. They preferred to rely on a media campaign and campaigning in marginal seats for a Labor Party victory at the next federal election.
A groundswell among rank-and-file union members prompted a change of heart by the ACTU executive, which voted on March 7 for the June 28 national day of action. Despite that decision, several state trades and labour councils continued to reject the idea until as late as mid-May, when Unions NSW finally decided to organise rallies on June 28.
Although the rally in Western Australia is not being organised by Unions WA, it is starting to attract support from a broad range of unions, including public sector unions. The organising committee for Perth's June 28 march and rally includes the Maritime Union of Australia; the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union; the Transport Workers Union and the Australian Workers Union.
The June 28 protests will occur well beyond the capital cities, with rallies now being organised in regional towns in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Country workers are especially hard-hit by the new industrial relations laws because of the limited number of jobs available.
Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden explained to Green Left Weekly why the June 28 protests are so important. "The overwhelming majority of Australians hate Howard's anti-worker laws. We need to demonstrate the strength of that opposition on the streets of cities and towns across Australia with massive protests that bring the country to a halt.
"The demonstrations need to involve every part of the community that is affected by Howard's laws - workers, students, pensioners, unemployed workers and anyone who is barely surviving on the welfare system. We want as many people as possible to join unions, but you don't have to be a union member to join the demonstrations and voice your opposition to what Howard is doing.
"And we need to pledge that we won't stop at this demonstration. We need to get inspiration from the French students and workers to keep protesting until the government withdraws all of the anti-union and anti-worker laws."
[For details of the June 28 protests, see page 4.]
From Green Left Weekly, June 7, 2006.
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