WA parliamentary gallery occupied
By Michael Bramwell
PERTH — For a few hours on the night of April 15, parliament for once reflected its title as "the house of the people", when 120 trade unionists armed with banners, balloons and their anger loudly occupied the public gallery. The protest briefly interrupted the Liberal government's ramming of its draconian industrial relations bill through the lower house.
Another 100 or so protesters were denied entry. The protest sent a clear sign to the government that implementation of the anti-union laws will not be easy.
That same night, union delegates at a mass Trades and Labour Council meeting unanimously supported the call for an ACTU-endorsed state-wide blockade, rolling stoppages, civil disobedience and a rally on April 29.
State Labor leader Geoff Gallop, who played no part in the night's actions, called for both sides to negotiate on the legislation's secret ballot provision.
The campaign against the bill has continued with pickets at the Northbridge Tunnel construction site, action by academics and workers at Murdoch University and imminent industrial action by members of the Maritime Workers Union and the Transport Workers Union.