By Peter Boyle
MELBOURNE — As the Kennett government steps up its assault on working people in Victoria the campaign to defeat these attacks is in grave danger of being subsumed by Keating's re-election bid, according to the Democratic Socialists. The campaign, already faltering, needs a radical change of direction if it is to succeed, DSP Melbourne branch secretary Dave Holmes told Green Left Weekly.
"Transferring Victorian workers from state to federal awards will offer a measure of protection but Kennett's progam of sackings, cuts to services and asset sell-offs will continue unabated. Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether this move will survive a High Court challenge.
"Right from the start of the campaign, it has been painfully obvious that the overriding concern for most union leaderships has been to secure the re-election of the Keating Labor government. Working people have paid a heavy price during a decade of the ALP-ACTU Accord in falling living standards and the radical weakening of the trade union movement. Now the labour bureaucrats are prepared once more to sacrifice our interests in order to keep the ALP in government.
"It is also worth noting that federal and state Labor politicians have been spectacularly absent from the campaign against Kennett's attacks and have even condemned the industrial action taken.
"All these developments highlight the urgent need for a political alternative to the major parties".
The single most successful action in the campaign was the November 10 mass mobilisation, said Holmes. "This unprecedented demonstration of popular anger and concern shook the government and ruling circles. They were obviously fearful that this might be only the start of a deepening politicisation among workers and other victims of Kennett's attacks".
"But a month later, it is clear that the official leadership of the trade union movement is on the road to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
"The official strategy has been to break up the struggle into fragmented and poorly coordinated strike action by different sectors of the workforce. In total contrast to the mood of confidence and power coming out from November 10, this strategy is more often than not leaving workers feeling frustrated, confused and demoralised.
"At several union mass meetings attempts to put forward a different approach were dismissed by the officials in the most arbitrary, bureaucratic and undemocratic manner.
"The centrepiece of the official strategy after November 10 was the 'National Day of Action' on November 30. It seemed that everything possible was done to prevent it from being a repeat of November 10.
"If Kennett's attacks are to be halted, a fundamental change of course is necessary. First of all the campaign must be independent of the ALP's re-election scheming.
"What is needed is a campaign that brings workers and their allies together, centralises their efforts and magnifies the impact of their actions. Only such an approach will empower ordinary people and give them the confidence to win, to reach out and convince layers hitherto under the sway of government and employer propaganda.
"If the campaign is to be salvaged, it must focus on building a major mass mobilisation of workers and all others affected by Kennett's attacks some time in the new year. In order to build such an action on the scale required it will be necessary to hold mass meetings of delegates from all unions as was done so successfully before November 10.
"It is also absolutely essential to bring together workers' anger at Kennett's industrial laws with community outrage at Kennett's vicious cuts to education, health and transport. The labor movement must fight for the interests of everybody suffering under the Coalition onslaught."