BY MARCEL CAMERON
MELBOURNE — In response to the call by the M1 Alliance for a strike and blockade of the Australian Stock Exchange on May 1, construction workers will walk off city building sites and march on stock market offices here before commencing a "tour of corporate Melbourne".
May Day is not recognised as a public holiday in Australia, so for many years the traditional May Day parade has been held on the first Sunday in May. The state secretary of the construction division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), Martin Kingham, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that, while he still has some concerns about the designated tactic of blockading the stock exchange, he welcomed the initiative of the M1 Alliance to reclaim May 1 for the workers' movement.
Kingham said that the May 1 protests against corporate tyranny would help to "revitalise" the May Day tradition and broaden its scope "from the glorification of past victories to focusing on the battles of today".
According to Kingham, international solidarity with workers' struggles is the most effective way that the trade union movement can throw its weight behind the emerging anti-corporate movement.
He gave as an example the recent victory by mineworkers in three Latin American countries over Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. The company had been using security guards and private armies to intimidate workers from organising. An international campaign of boycotts and industrial action involving unionists in Europe and Australia has forced Rio Tinto to back down.
"The workers are now organising solidly at the mine sites. The majority of miners are now union members", Kingham said with evident pride.
The CFMEU plans to highlight this particular victory on May 1. Building workers will rally outside the offices of Rio Tinto after visiting the blockade of the stock exchange. Rallies will also be held at mine sites for workers who are unable to attend the city protests.
The M1 Alliance has made workers' rights and unionism a major component of its protest action, adopting the demand "Abolish anti-union laws" and the slogan "Defend the right to organise".