Critical Times

Source: Vanguard Leaflet given out to the ACTU 2009 Congress

Unemployment, the loss of working conditions and union rights, casualisation, cuts to working hours, and general economic insecurity is hitting the working class hard. Many workers are looking for union leadership to continue the fight against WorkChoices, still enshrined in Labor’s ‘Fair Work Australia’.

The militancy and mass mobilisation of workers that characterised the struggle to defeat WorkChoices, powerfully demonstrated what can be achieved with united and strong leadership dedicated to the working class. The call to action and mass mobilisation raised working people’s hopes and confidence in the strength of the union movement.

But substantial parts of the vile anti-union, anti-worker laws remain under ‘Fair Work Australia’, as does the hated ABCC attack-dog in the building and construction industry. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard continues to boast about having a “tough cop on the beat” to keep building and construction workers in line.

In most circumstances, it is still illegal to take strike action or to support workers in other workplaces. WorkChoices laws that severely obstruct and restrict unions’ rights to recruit and organise continue to be used vigorously by bosses under ‘Fair Work Australia’. Union organisers still have to jump through hoops to even talk to their members on the job. AWAs continue to break down working conditions, and individual contracts are pushed in many workplaces, while job delegates and OH & S representatives are regularly harassed and threatened by the bosses. In non-unionised workplaces, the situation for workers is even worse, with bosses threatening workers with the sack if they join the union. This is not confined to a few exceptions, but is common to many workplaces.

ACTU Congress
At the ACTU Congress this month, the working class wants to see more than just mild criticism of the Rudd government. It wants firm allegiance to the interests of the working class. It wants union leadership in struggle. The leadership of the ACTU has staked everything on their ‘influence’ on the Rudd Labor government in the industrial arena and on the ‘promises’ of the Labor Party leaders. Eighteen months of Labor in government is showing that the Labor government is aligned with big business interests, and not with workers and unions. Big business is shifting the burden of present crisis of capitalism onto the workers, without so much as a squeak from Labor. Workers are sacked; many without their entitlements and redundancy pay, whilst big business continues to rake in profits and CEOs are awarded millions in payout for their services.

Fighting unions show the way
But despite the lack of action and leadership by some peak leaders, some individual unions and groups of workers continue to take action in defence of workers’ rights and conditions. They resist the efforts of the monopoly capitalist class to grind them down and transfer the burden of economic crisis onto their shoulders.

The response of the bosses is to run to the courts to issue ‘orders’ and ‘injunctions’, making use of repressive laws designed to cripple and impoverish the union movement. But recent experiences of struggle show that where union leadership has the courage and will to organise, unite and mobilise the workers many legal obstacles and restrictions thrown at them by the bosses and the government can be pushed back and workers can win the battle.

In the process of struggle, workers learn just who they can rely on; they learn about the nature of the state forces, the ‘justice’ of the bosses’ courts, and the way big business uses the Labor Party to divert working class struggle up the blind alleys of parliamentary and trade union politics.

Unity in struggle
Of course, the very last thing the bosses want is for the working class to rebel altogether, making political demands that threaten imperialist domination of Australia and the capitalist system itself. So, they make use of Labor to toss a few crumbs around, to make a few minor concessions and nice promises, all designed to keep the working class muted, divided, and essentially passive, placing all hope on Labor to look after them. It won’t.

Ultimately the working class can only make real progress in protecting working conditions and democratic rights by relying on its own strength. This has been proved time and time again in our immediate and past history. This means building unity in struggle between all sections of workers, across all industries and within the broader community.

The ACTU can either contribute a leading part to this struggle or be left behind.

Vanguard – For an Independent Australia and Socialism. www.vanguard.net.au