Liam Mitchell, Sydney
On July 24, a lunchtime solidarity meeting with a member of the Western Australian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) who is facing a heavy fine for taking strike action was held on the University of NSW.
Nearly 200 people, including staff, students and workers on UNSW building sites, were addressed by Mal Peters, a CFMEU safety delegate on the Perth to Mandurah rail line construction project, and his wife Bernadette. One hundred and seven workers on the project have been served with writs by the Howard government's Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and face fines of up to $28,600 for taking strike action in support of their sacked shop steward, despite subsequently settling the dispute with their employer (see article on page 3).
The pair described the support they have received during their tour of the east coast. The meeting was also addressed by NSW CFMEU construction division secretary Andrew Ferguson, and Susan Price, the president of the UNSW branch of the National Tertiary Education Union. She called for an alliance of unionists, students and the general public to support the CFMEU. A bucket collection raised $730 for the WA workers.
On July 27, news reached the CFMEU that the ABCC had begun an investigation into the UNSW meeting on the grounds that union officials may have "illegally" entered a construction site on the campus, and that the meeting exceeded the construction workers' 30-minute lunch break. Ferguson told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that the ABCC investigation is "a waste of taxpayers' money".