Sue Bull, Geelong
A young workers' network is being set up to organise a conference here on June 17. The February 22 meeting of the Geelong Trades Hall Council (GTHC) voted to endorse and support the proposal.
Conference organiser and Resistance
Sue Bull, Geelong
A young workers' network is being set up to organise a conference here on June 17. The February 22 meeting of the Geelong Trades Hall Council (GTHC) voted to endorse and support the proposal.
Conference organiser and Resistance activist in Geelong Rowan told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly: "This is such a great opportunity for the youth of this area. Young workers today are possibly the most exploited workers, particularly now under John Howard s Work Choices legislation and with AWAs increasingly being offered to new job starters."
"Young people need to know now more than ever why they must be in a union, how unions improve the lot of workers and why they have to be activists for their union in the workplace and in the community", he added. "With the IR campaign, workers' rights and union rights are much more in peoples' minds and part of public discussion. It is an opportune time to introduce young people to the union movement."
Rowan also argued that the union movement urgently needs a new layer of young activists who can learn from the history of the movement and boost union ranks with energy and enthusiasm.
Tim Gooden, GTHC secretary, told GLW: "The project is very useful because it aims to educate and inspire young people in Geelong to become active in the union movement. Hopefully, we will be able to involve young people who are already unionists as well as those about to enter the work force."
Rowan said that he and the other young people helping to organise the conference want to use the gathering to "discuss specific issues that affect young workers, such as casualisation, AWAs, youth wages, students as workers, and conditions in the fast-food industry. We can discuss questions like: What do you do when you are offered an AWA? How do you deal with harassment? We could use some specific cases that have happened in Geelong, such as the young woman who was paid in 5 cent pieces, and present practical information for people to take away and be confident of using in their own workplace."
Rowan added: "We also want to look at how to get organised and have speakers from unions or groups that have experience with organising young workers, like Unite in New Zealand or the casual workers campaign developing on the Gold Coast. Of course, we wouldn t want to ignore the gains that are being made by workers in countries such as Venezuela either. Workers have the same interests, no matter what country they live in.
"We also want to look at civil rights, attacks on student rights and all the tactics that are used to divide workers, like racism and sexism. We would like young workers to leave the conference prepared to unite with everyone in the community who wants to fight this rotten government."
To be involved in organising the conference, phone Rowan on (03) 5222 6900 or Tim on 0438 088 112.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, March 8, 2006.
Visit the