By Jonathan Strauss
PERTH — Since the election of the Court government in WA in March 1993, workers' rights have been under constant attack. The introduction of individual work contracts, job cuts in the more highly unionised public sector, subcontracting in the housing industry and mining companies' offers to award workers to become salaried employees have all helped to reduce union membership by about 25 per cent.
In response, the activity of the labour movement has increased from the passivity it exhibited under the Labor state governments of premiers Burke and Lawrence. The increased activity since 1993 has included a 15,000-strong rally, a two-week strike against non-union labour by Pilbara miners, a successful strike against government union-busting on the wharves and the long-running teachers' campaign in support of a 20% pay and quality education claim.
So far, however, the government has avoided a general ongoing campaign. Unlike Kennett in Victoria, Court and his industrial relations minister, Ian Kierath, have not attempted a direct attack on across-the-board wage levels, largely because of the relatively healthy state of the WA economy.
Teachers and nurses have been offered pay rises, at the cost of massive losses in conditions, to sign individual contracts. Both groups of workers have rejected the bribes, refusing to give up the right of collective action. Even the relatively right-wing leaders of the teachers' union, while calling for negotiations, have rejected trade-offs because they know the union members are firmly behind their claim.
The government has also seen from New Zealand that the unions cannot be attacked without taking on the basic right to organise. This is the aim of the recently proposed industrial legislation, which will restrict unions' workplace access and their ability to undertake political and industrial action in the state.
The rising anger of workers against the legislation raises a number of issues for the WA labour movement. Each issue found some expression at the meeting of union delegates, members and supporters called by the Trades and Labour Council on July 25.
The major action recommended by this meeting — a march and rally at Parliament House on August 22 — will be an important part of the campaign. The related recommendation for a 24-hour strike on that day will ensure that the maximum number of workers can attend.
Proposals for such strike action were criticised by some at the meeting as, on the one hand, insufficient to defeat the legislation and, on the other, more drastic than some union members would take.
This response reflects the reality that large numbers of unionised workers, especially those working under federal awards, are not very conscious of the significance of the new legislation and the government attacks. This defeatist view — "we can't do it and it won't be enough anyway" — does not annul the need to call and campaign for strike action, if necessary on an all-out basis, to educate unionists about the issues and the tactics necessary to defend their rights.
The issue of what sort of industrial action is required is broader than this, however. If the Court government believes it can ride the wave of a short-term union campaign, little will be gained. Rather, the government must face the prospect of an ongoing campaign, before and after the legislation is adopted.
The TLC meeting's endorsement of rolling campaigns by a number of unions and the establishment of a fighting fund are important steps. Such consistent action by unions in defence of workers' rights might also help win new members.
Another issue is political action by trade unions. The ALP, no less than the Liberals, aims for "international competitiveness" in the interests of business, and is pursuing an agenda of slow de-unionisation to that end. The TLC and individual unions and unionists will therefore need to act without fear or favour in applying every useful tactic, including electoral action which poses an alternative to both major parties. Support for workers' candidates and for other activists running on behalf of progressive anti-government campaigns could assist the struggle against the legislation.
Finally, another concern of many unionists is the accountability of their own leaders and the ability of members to be involved in the campaign. One step taken to address this was the election, from the July 25 meeting, of six workplace delegates from different unions to the TLC's campaign committee. The teachers' union has also established a union campaigning group, allowing members to learn activist skills in the process of this campaign.