Zoe Kenny
Young people joined the November 15 national day of action against the industrial relations laws determined to not only lampoon PM John Howard, but also highlight that young workers will suffer under these laws. The socialist youth organisation Resistance organised "Up yours Howard" contingents around the country, involving more than 200 loud and angry protesters.
In Wollongong, 40 young people joined the march of 10,000, the biggest protest in that city's history. Eight high-school students entered a Liberal senator's office in the city and demanded to know her opinion about the IR laws.
In Sydney, 40 high-school students, wearing stickers with the slogans "Supersize my Pay", "Workchoices — No Choice" and "KFC = finger-licking greed", joined the Belmore Park protest.
The largest of the Resistance-organised contingents was in Perth, where around 100, mostly high-school students, took part. The young protesters met in front of Hungry Jacks an hour before the official rally started and turned heads with their megaphone spruiking against the exploitation of young people.
Trent Hawkins, guild councillor on the University of Western Australia, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly that while the main aim of the new laws is to destroy unions, it is also aimed at "making it easier for bosses to force people onto individual contracts, which will take away rights in the workplace and, over time, drive down wages".
Hawkins, a member of Resistance, said "the laws are obviously going to have a greater impact on young workers, who are already being exploited heavily in the work force. For example, Hungry Jacks employs young workers as apprentice trainees, which entitles them to federal subsidies while allowing them to pay workers under the minimum wage. Discrimination already exists."
What do young people think of these laws? "The corporate media would like us to believe that young people are happy with the changes, or that we don't care about them. That's wrong — lots of us are very worried about the laws", said Hawkins. "Young people in the fast-food industry are already on individual contracts, and if not, they are members of very weak unions. But they haven't had much experience of unions that are prepared to fight.
"At the same time, a lot of young people know the boss is out to exploit them and they understand that the new laws aren't going to be good — either for casual workers now, or later when they become full-time workers."
Hawkins said that the campaign to defeat the IR laws will not only need to be sustained, "it's very important that young people are involved". He said that Resistance will be working overtime organising young people on schools, campuses and in workplaces "to take action against their own and others' exploitation.
"We also need to work with teachers and academic staff, and organise solidarity with other workers. This is also going to be important as it is the way young people will become convinced about the need for collective action, and from there to join and get involved in the union movement."
To get involved in the young workers' rights campaign, contact your nearest Resistance branch (details on page 2) or email <nationaloffice@resistance.org.au>.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, November 23, 2005.
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