By Lisa Macdonald
On November 19, the Australian Democrats gave up all pretence of being a progressive alternative in Australian parliaments by voting with the Howard government to allow the passage of the draconian Workplace Relations Bill.
Following months of token campaigning by the ACTU and trade union leaderships against the bill, but genuine outrage among working people (as expressed on August 19 in Canberra), the bill was passed with barely a whimper of dissent from the ALP.
Referring to the Democrats' decision to side with the government to vote down Green senators' amendments to the secondary boycott provisions in the bill, the Australian Greens' Bob Brown said on November 19 that the Democrats' action was a "massive breach of faith ... their deal with the government was far more important to them than the rights of the community to organise peaceful protests".
The Greens' amendments would have exempted from prosecution individuals, groups and trade unions engaging in action around consumer and human rights, environment, peace and Aboriginal land rights issues. They would also have done away with the provision that allows unions to be deemed to be involved in a secondary boycott if two or more of its members are.
Brown's condemnation was supported by well-known former trade union leader and environmentalist Jack Mundey, who pointed out in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald the next day that "the stifling of environment and other social justice actions taken by enlightened trade unionists, and subsequent enormous fines, would mean that the green bans which saved much of Sydney's heritage would have been impossible ... Likewise the participation of progressive trade unionists in a mass of actions against Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War."
In a statement released on November 20, the Australian Youth Policy and Action Coalition also condemned the Democrats for hypocrisy. Referring to the entrenching of age discrimination in pay rates with the passage of the bill, AYPAC chairperson Paul Rajan pointed out that the federal Coalition government, every state government, the ALP, the ACTU and the Australian Democrats have all failed to end age discrimination in rates of pay.
AYPAC executive officer Julian Pocock points out: "... when the bill was tabled the Democrats' position was that junior rates of pay should end in all cases from July 1, 1997. The only proviso was that parties may, with Australian Industrial Relations Commission approval, seek a two-year extension for extenuating circumstances. At the end of the negotiation their position was that junior rates of pay stay in all cases unless the AIRC determines otherwise over the next three years."
Pocock added, "It is difficult not to conclude that young people on junior rates were 'offered up' in order to obtain some other amendments".
Wendy Robertson, Sydney organiser of the socialist youth organisation Resistance, agrees. "What do the Democrats' repeated promises to oppose education funding cuts and support Austudy amount to if they are prepared to sell young people in the work force down the river?
"Students, young workers and unemployed young people cannot trust the Democrats to keep themselves honest, let alone anyone else. We need to look to our own organisations and actions to stop the Howard government's attacks on our rights and living conditions."