James Vassilopoulos, Melbourne
Union Solidarity, a community-based organisation with 10 local groups across Melbourne, aims to support workers in struggle. Dave Kerin, the initiator and coordinator of the Melbourne central group, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that it was formed in December 2004 as unionists became increasingly alarmed about the federal government's attempts to restrict unions' ability to organise workers to defend their rights and take solidarity action.
Kerin believes that Howard's laws aim to "finish the work of the [Prices and Incomes] Accord [an agreement between the Hawke-led Labor government and unions to limit wage rises] and enterprise bargaining, which forced workers to fight workplace by workplace". He said Howard was also building on existing anti-worker laws, such as 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ 45D and E of the Trade Practices Act, which prohibits solidarity actions between unions.
Kerin said the idea of Union Solidarity was to create an infrastructure to assist community organisations to fight alongside unions in a united front. He explained that, while Union Solidarity is pro-union, its activists are not employed, or funded, by the unions. Its charter is to "assist workers when invited ... and to leave when told".
There has been a proliferation of local groups across Melbourne, including in Dandenong in the south-east, Darebin, Hume in the north-west, Moreland and the western suburbs, plus groups in Geelong and Portland. There are also sectoral groups of community development workers and faith-based communities. Once a fortnight the local groups — "the lifeblood" — gather to make decisions around community assemblies and pickets, and other common projects such as fundraisers and demonstrations.
Unions Solidarity has notched up some impressive successes. At Finlay Engineering, a car-parts manufacturer in west Heidelberg, a worker was sacked for smirking at the boss. Three hundred supporters mobilised and eventually overturned the sackings.
Colrain Wholesale Warehouse in Melbourne's west forced the boss to back away from introducing individual contracts (AWAs) following a 24-hour picket line supported by local workers who walked off the job and Union Solidarity. At Australian Envelopes in Melbourne's south-east, a worker was sacked for taking a stand over an occupational health and safety issue. While the community picket did not get the worker's job back, it did spur greater union activism at that workplace.
Union Solidarity groups have also organised May Day fundraisers, protest picnics and public forums of up to 400 people. They have also circulated pro-workers' rights leaflets to thousands of people via campaigning stalls, letterboxing and leafleting outside railway stations and football games. Union Solidarity has also established a phone and email rapid response network.
The June 28 national day of action against Work Choices was the result of an Australia-wide build-up of pressure from militant unionists on a reluctant ACTU, which had wanted only one national stoppage this year, in November. Asked if Union Solidarity should also push more conservative parts of the union movement into action, Kerin said: "There are no set answers on how we have dealt with this. If Union Solidarity becomes a vehicle for critique or analysis, we will open it up to all the old tribal factionalism."
Kerin said that unions can, and must, find their own answers, adding that there is enough left leadership across all unions for this to happen. In Kerin's view, Brian Boyd, secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, was instrumental in forcing the ACTU to agree to a national protest on June 28.
Kerin believes that more mass rallies — "let the walking do the talking" — are needed to defeat the Howard government, and says that the strength of Union Solidarity is its ability to show some practical leadership. Broadening the united front is essential, he said, especially as governments start to implement repressive laws.
Kerin predicts that some activists could soon be jailed for their solidarity activity. "The government will take out writs in the Federal Court demanding we don't attend assemblies and picket lines. It will be contempt when we break these orders.
"We have been there before with the Builders Labourers Federation in 1980s. The difference now is that we have a largely united labour movement that will go all out to defend anyone hit by Work Choices."
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, June 28, 2006.
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