Jim McIlroy & Margarita Windisch, Ballarat
"The spirit of Eureka has always been part of the progressive trade union movement", environmentalist and former NSW Builders Labourers Federation secretary Jack Mundey told a crowd of several hundred at the "Night under the Southern Cross" concert and celebration held at the site of the Eureka Stockade on December 2.
The event was organised by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) during a week of commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the miners' revolt.
"The spirit of Eureka will be much needed in the next three years, under a re-elected Howard government", Mundey said, adding that "the union movement will face its biggest challenge in many years" when the Coalition takes control of the Senate in July.
Mundey argued that "The unions need to take a more independent position, after the bungling of the ALP in this recent election", and must reach out to other progressive sectors, in particular the Greens and their leader Bob Brown.
"It is also a question of the unions reaching out beyond wages and conditions to political issues, which would be deemed illegal by this Howard government."
Welcoming people to the event, Dean Mighell, Victorian state secretary of the ETU, said: "The Eureka flag is not a flag belonging just to the unions. It is a rebel flag, standing for the struggle for democratic rights and human freedom in this country."
Shane Howard from the band Goanna, Aboriginal activist Richard Frankland, a representative of Chilean workers in Australia and many others spoke or performed at the event.
On December 3, some 2000 people gathered in the frosty dawn at the Eureka Stockade site for the state government-sponsored "Dawn Commemoration". Many travelled interstate to pay their respects to the courage of the miners who 150 years ago struggled for democratic rights.
The largest union contingents were from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the ETU and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Shearers and Rural Workers Union and the Australian Nurses Federation had flags at the event. The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union had no official representation, however a significant number of AMWU members were present. The commemoration was also attended by state Premier Steven Bracks, opposition leader Robert Doyle and Greens Senator Bob Brown.
Compaing the state repression faced by miners 150 years ago to the attacks on unionists today by state and federal governments, including the jailing of former Victorian secretary of the AMWU Craig Johnston, unionists campaigned among the crowd in support of Johnston's release.
Workers at the local Eureka Tiles business walked off the job to be part of the celebrations. They called for December 3 to be made a public holiday.
Following the commemoration, a picnic organised by the CFMEU in the Eureka Reserve was attended by more than 1000 people.
From Green Left Weekly, December 8, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.