Howard’s IR Laws - Not in my workplace!
With the release of the details of the Howard governments Industrial Relations ‘blue print’ it is undeniably clear that this is the most brutal attack on workers in Australia since federation.
The proposals are aimed, not at creating jobs and a “fair” workplace or one of “choice”, but at smashing the unions and placing in the hands of the bosses, total and absolute power over the working class.
By Antony Alder, UNITE Melbourne
Although most workers are well aware of this, it hasn’t stopped both Howard and the bosses from being quite cocky. This is because the ACTU campaign, so far, has only been a media campaign. The bosses feel that they will get their way despite a little public relations bruising. If it is just a public relations bruising that they are going to get they will refuse to back down. A determined industrial campaign, with bruising to profit margins would be a totally different story.
Although it seems the industrial relations laws will pass through parliament, it is not a given that they will be used on the shop floor by the bosses if a staunch, united and relentless campaign is waged by workers and their leaderships against this legislation.
So far the media campaign launched by the ACTU has had a good effect and huge turnouts have been seen at the various rallies around Australia. However this on its own has done little to deter the Government from the job it sees is at hand.
It is now time for the ACTU and Trades and Labour Councils to change tact and provide a fighting lead in this struggle. They must snap out of this idea of timid lobbying and waiting for Labor to win the next election on the off chance they may start looking after the interests of working class people.
At State Parliament level across the country, we see the ALP act quite the opposite and are unlikely to reverse any of the industrial legislation if elected at a federal level.
The calling of a national day of protest is a good start but this must be backed up by the immediate call for a 24hr general strike to send a warning shot to the bosses against putting the counter reforms into practice. We will also need to call a 24hr strike should any trade union, union delegate or member be fined or penalised under these new laws.
Unions from all industries must now come together and act in solidarity with one another in defiance of these attacks to begin an ongoing campaign of broad industrial action, non payment of fines and mass demonstrations until the laws and John Howard are defeated.