By Val Edwards
CANBERRA — ACT activists in the Community and Public Sector Union have formed a new group, Public Sector Fightback (CPSU). While supporting the CPSU national executive-proposed 24-hour strike on July 25, Fightback's members are extremely concerned at the state of the national campaign.
The new group aims to fight job cuts in the public sector; campaign to extend public services and oppose privatisation of public functions and the loss of conditions through changes to industrial relations legislation. It also calls for more accountability of elected union officials.
While the CPSU national leadership pays lip service to these aims, it has accepted the first round of cuts as inevitable (despite 97% of members voting to oppose them), and has not provided any medium- or long-term strategy for union members. This follows its earlier role of accomplice in Labor government cuts to jobs and conditions in the federal public service.
Public Sector Fightback is holding fortnightly meetings. It has voted to affiliate to National Challenge, a coalition of activist groups in the CPSU.
The formation of Public Sector Fightback followed a June 12 vote to disband by the previous ACT activist caucus, CPSU Challenge. That meeting voted unanimously to pass on its financial resources to the new group.
For more information, including meeting details, phone Val on (06) 241 8635.