Sue Bolton, Melbourne
In the last issue of Green Left Weekly, union leaders from NSW and Queensland explained why their unions support the national day of action called by the ACTU for June 28. This week, Victorian union leaders explain why a big mobilisation across Australia will be essential for the success of the campaign against the Howard government's anti-worker laws.
Martin Kingham (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union state secretary):
It's critical that we maintain our involvement in the national protests. It gives encouragement to people in workplaces - large, medium and small - to stand up for their rights, because they can see that they're part of a much bigger movement.
The workplace changes being brought in by the Howard government are not specifically targeted towards the more militant or the better organised sectors. Work Choices takes many of the bad aspects of the building industry legislation and applies it to all workers.
There are two objectives of this national protest. After the last round of national stoppages, the Howard government dropped dramatically in the opinion polls. It does feel the pressure and we've got to bowl it up to them.
As well as making life difficult for the Howard government and employers who want to run with their agenda, the nationwide protests help build broader alliances with different sectors of the community and the progressive movements. It just gives us more courage to go back and do the hard daily slog that we have to do.
Howard may say he takes no notice of rallies, but one thing he claims credit for is reducing the amount of time lost from industrial action. National stoppages blow their statistics out of the water. They stop the country, and the government and investors certainly take notice.
The protests have another purpose ... reminding the ALP opposition of what we want and expect them to provide in return for our support for them. The ALP get bolder about speaking up for workers' rights when they see public opinion against the government, and that increases rapidly when we're out there protesting.
Chris Spindler (Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state president):
The rallies are an essential part of the campaign. To have a mass mobilisation across the country indicates to workplaces that aren't unionised, or are partly unionised or less confident, that the movement is alive and well, and campaigning. A national protest or stoppage can only help local campaigns.
Big protests have an impact on bosses. When they see their own employees participating in the national mobilisations despite threats of legal action it makes employers more willing to say that they won't use the new IR legislation.
June 28 was the result of a coordinated campaign by some unions in Victoria insisting on a nationwide mass mobilisation. There was also a very successful petition calling for a national stoppage; we got reports from the ACTU that they received hundreds and hundreds of sheets of petitions from across the country. There was also pressure from some trades and labour councils, and some unions outside Victoria.
It was the same at the beginning of 2005 when the ACTU had to be convinced to kick-off the mass mobilisations. There had to be a groundswell from below.
Joan Doyle (Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union - postal and telecommunications branch state secretary):
Australia Post [management] is emboldened by Howard's new IR legislation, despite us having an enterprise bargaining agreement. They are already moving on delegates, and trying to take penalty rates off posties and rail officers with shift changes.
We had a very good turn-up at the big protest last June and we doubled that at the protest in November, so we're hoping for double that again on June 28.
People really want to protest against Work Choices. A lot of posties have seen the struggles in France and wish that sort of struggle was happening here. We have a democratic right to protest against unjust laws and we want to exercise that right.
Dean Mighell (Electrical Trades Union state secretary):
The ETU supported the June 28 national day of action. There's a groundswell of feeling for a further protest. You can run but you can't hide from the fight and people are keen to get on with the fight.
[The ETU would] prefer if we had a national stop-work. That'd be the most powerful protest overall.
There's an undeniable truth about the number of people who protested in the biggest demonstration [for workers' rights] in our country's history last November. The government [released the Work Choices regulations] right after two state elections and in the middle of the Commonwealth Games. If it was legislation they were proud of they wouldn't hide it behind some other event.
From Green Left Weekly, March 29, 2006.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.