By Melanie Sjoberg
MELBOURNE — An important element of the ACTU's drive to amalgamate Australia's roughly 300 unions into about 20 mega-unions ran into trouble in December when rank and file workers defeated an attempt to shotgun the Transport Workers Union (TWU) into marriage with the right-wing National Union of Workers (NUW).
Also in the amalgamation plan were the smaller Federated Millers and Manufacturing Grocers Employees Association and the Federated Cold Storage and Meat Preserving Employees Union.
Members of the TWU voted resoundingly against the proposed amalgamation in every state: Victoria 82%, NSW 66%, Queensland 71%, SA 68%, WA 80%, Tasmania 53%, and the ACT 65%.
This ends a campaign that began last May, when the TWU federal council resolved to amalgamate with the NUW in line with ACTU policy. Three Victorian representatives who opposed the decision were told they were bound by it and could not publicise information opposing the amalgamation.
After the federal council twice rejected petitions of Victorian members for a referendum, the Victorian officials were instructed by the members to take the case to the Federal Court, which directed that the federal office should provide funds for circulation of a No case.
"This is what has made it such a bitter campaign", TWU Victorian secretary Chris Keily told Green Left Weekly. "Members were opposed to the top-down approach and the lack of democracy. They could see no advantage to amalgamating with the storemen and packers. This is a victory for the membership ... they didn't want to be told what to do by the hierarchy."
Keily says the pro-amalgamation forces had far greater resource, and the NUW bought radio advertising on the major FM stations day and night.
The decision is a big kick in the pants for the ACTU drive to reduce the number of unions at any cost. "People like Kelty, Ferguson and Co. wouldn't have a clue what goes on at the ground floor level. They get all their union information from text books. Instead of listening to the bosses all the time they should take a lesson from our book and put the workers first", said Keily.
"They try to project what's good for workers, but the way they live both socially and industrially has no bearing on how most of us are forced to live!"