Jan Lacey, Australia Asia Worker Links coordinator for the Stolen Wages Project, died on January 17.
Jan was born in Melbourne into a working-class family. She started working in retail when she was young and later went to work at Leeds Dyeworks in Westgarth. Later in life, Jan used to describe the factory conditions as Dickensian. She became involved in the union, which later became part of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, was elected shop steward and became a Trades Hall delegate. Jan organised struggles over conditions at work and became involved in international solidarity with China.
After her experience in the textile industry, Jan went back to school as an adult and became a teacher. She spent many years as an adult educator and taught English as a second language at the Flemington Neighbourhood House. She was an active member of the National Tertiary Education Union. Jan had many refugee students and always helped them with their problems, inside and outside of the classroom.
Having worked in textiles, Jan was interested in an AAWL public meeting with Somboon Srikumdokcare, an activist who fought for health and safety conditions as a textile worker in Thailand. Jan became active in AAWL and in 2002 became a coordinator of the struggle against Malaysia's Internal Security Act. She organised a Malaysian solidarity visit in support of political prisoners detained for union activities.
Jan was committed to Aboriginal and Islander land rights and the right to self-determination. In 2003, she was elected as coordinator for the Stolen Wages Campaign, and never stopped her work for the Aboriginal workers who were so unfairly denied the wages of a lifetime of work by successive Australian governments. Jan organised at least three stolen wages solidarity tours. The development of the national stolen wages campaign with much union and community group support owes a great deal to Jan's efforts.
Jan is greatly missed for her humanity, her care and her commitment to the struggle against oppression and exploitation.
Tributes to Jan were received from unions and community organisations, including the Victorian Trades Hall Council, the ACTU, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, and the United Labour Federation of Bangladesh.
Alf Lacey, the respected Palm Island activist who coincidentally shared Jan's surname, sent a "Tribute to our sister" on behalf of his family, the community of Palm Island in north Queensland, the Stolen Wages Campaign Working Group, members of the Aboriginal Coordinating Council and the Aboriginal Local Government Association of Queensland.
The statement said: "Life is but a journey, in that journey we meet wonderful people. I was blessed to meet this splendid sister and to be touched by the support that she strove to give our people. To her family and members of AAWL, and those of you who are here today, my thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time. To her family who I've never met, you truly had an amazing sister and daughter who we will all miss very much. Please forgive me for not speaking her name, in Aboriginal custom it is wrong to speak her name after death.
"Today is the day we celebrate the life of a gifted and wonderful lady. Our sister, your compassion, dignity, strength and commitment continues to inspire us. We consider ourselves blessed to have shared some of your life with you."
Jan's family has requested donations to the continuing AAWL Stolen Wages Project in memory and recognition of Jan's work and dedication to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
AAWL sends our deepest condolences to Jan's family and friends. She will be missed very much.
[Donate to the AAWL Stolen Wages Project, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, BSB 06 3123, Account 10034866, Ref: CSW. Messages of condolences may be sent to <aawl@aawl.org.au>.]
From Green Left Weekly, February 16, 2005.
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