Sue Bolton, Brisbane
There were big turnouts for May Day marches across Queensland on May 1.
Brisbane's march of 35,000 was much bigger than the usual May day turnout of 10,000. The Builders Labourers Federation had a 2000-strong contingent, and even some unions that do not have a tradition of marching on May Day had large contingents. Previous May Day marches have generally been relatively quiet; this year every contingent was chanting.
An estimated 4000 people turned out for the Townsville march, with many workers travelling from other towns such as Ingham. In Rockhampton and Mackay, more than 5000 people turned out (these rallies are usually in the hundreds), and for the first time in many years a May Day march was held in Toowoomba, with 1200 participating.
This was the third year that the Gold Coast has had a May Day march. Despite Gold Coast Council restrictions that force the march to be held at 8.30am on a Sunday, around 1000 workers turned out this year from all sectors of the union movement.
One thousand marched in Blackwater and 700 in Ipswich on April 29. Andrew Martin reports from Ipswich that Hughie Williams, state secretary of the Transport Workers Union, told the crowd: "We know we have to get rid of the Howard government, but let's not forget about the fight-back. It's very important that our workmates and families turn up to these rallies ... We need to make June 28 as big as possible."
In the Northern Territory, 1000 people marched in Darwin on May 1, and marches were held also in Alice Springs and Gove.
The increased turnout in Queensland on May Day is in line with an increase in union membership. Almost 40,000 people joined unions in Queensland last year, a 4% jump across the state.
From Green Left Weekly, May 10, 2006.
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