By Graham Williams
GEELONG — Three hundred workers rallied outside the gates of the BHP wire mill here on February 4. Delegations of workers from the vehicle and metal divisions of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), the Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, the Electrical Trades Union and the Maritime Union of Australia walked off the job in solidarity with the BHP workers in Western Australia who are fighting the introduction of individual contracts.
The largest contingent at the rally, which was called by the Geelong and Regional Trades and Labour Council (GTLC), was Australian Workers Union (AWU) and AMWU workers from wire mill. Activists from the Democratic Socialist Party and the Progressive Labour Party also attended. The rally was chaired by the secretary of the GTLC, John Kranz.
AWU shop steward Bob Martin compared federal industrial relations minister Peter Reith's attempts to undermine workers' rights with the anti-worker policies of the British Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Rod Young, an AMWU shop steward, told the rally that if BHP workers in the Pilbara were forced into individual contracts, the way would be paved for individual contracts throughout BHP.
Bill Shorten, AWU state secretary, highlighted the importance of solidarity action. "BHP claims that it only wants to implement individual contracts in the iron ore sector and that no other sector need worry. This overlooks the way [BHP] has treated steelworkers in Newcastle and Port Kembla, where thousands of workers have been laid off", he said.
Craig Johnston, state secretary of the AMWU metal division, outlined the range of attacks workers are facing, including workers being locked out at the Yallourn power station and Melbourne's ACI glass factory. At the Ajax picket line in Melbourne, the company is using helicopters to transport non-union workers onto the site.
Johnston said the ACTU's strategy of relying on legal action against BHP could lead to a no-win situation. He contrasted this with the strategy of picket lines and wider industrial action. These methods succeeded for workers at the local Shell oil refinery last year.
The rally unanimously passed a motion for industrial action in solidarity with the Port Hedland and Mt Newman workers. The motion was amended to include the promise of an immediate response from unions in the Geelong area in the event of further attacks by BHP in the Pilbara.
The protesters marched to the wire mill and presented the motion to management.