Ron Perkins, Perth
At least 700 union delegates met in East Perth on September 13 to discuss the next steps in the campaign against the federal government's planned new anti-union laws. Held at ME Stadium, the mass delegates' meeting was addressed by a number of speakers including Cath Botel, an industrial officer for the ACTU, and Dave Noonan, the national assistant secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (Construction Division).
Noonan reminded the meeting that parts of the Howard government's anti-union agenda had already become law, citing the governor-general's enactment of the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 on September 12. Under this new law, the construction unions' officials and members are now subject to a draconian policing regime carried out by the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Noonan noted that in Western Australia two rank-and-file CFMEU members had been charged for taking industrial action and a member in Victoria fined $750 for breaching dispute resolution procedure. He told the delegates that no individual union could resist the government's attacks, but "together we can ensure the trade union movement continues to stand united and strong".
Calling upon Labor MPs to support the campaign and not treat the issues "as a liability", Noonan said workers should expect that the ALP embrace the role of "working for fairness" in the workplace as a bare minimum for the campaign.
Although no resolutions were put to the meeting by the ACTU or Unions WA, during discussion time the maritime union put two proposals to delegates mirroring resolutions adopted at the September 7 Victorian mass delegates' meeting. These were unanimously adopted by the Perth meeting. Among the key points in those resolutions were
- Support for the construction unions "in a united effort to repel these attacks". The resolution noted "that if the Howard Government succeeds in using these laws in the construction industry, then there will be a greater likelihood of them being used against all workers and unions".
- Reaffirmation of opposition to Australian Workplace Agreements and the demand that the federal ALP and its leader, Kim Beazley, "call for the abolition of individual contracts and if in government to abolish individual contracts".
A national day of protest action against the Howard government's planned new industrial relations laws has been called by the ACTU for November 15. In WA there will be rallies on that day in regional centres and a march through Perth. For more information visit .
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, September 21, 2005.
Visit the