SP Newsletter No.203
Many workers have welcomed the news that Labor Party PM, Kevin Rudd is going to ‘dismantle’ the previous Howard government’s industrial relations laws. The reality of the situation is that far from dismantling the laws, Rudd plans to leave most of Howard’s Work Choices legislation intact.

On February 13 Labor introduced the Workplace Relations Amendment Bill into parliament. While the bill does outlaw new Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) it also allows bosses who have used AWAs in the past to use a new form of individual agreement called an Interim Transitional Employment Agreement (ITEA).

These agreements are practically the same as AWAs and will be allowed until the start of a new industrial relations system that won’t be functional until 2010. All existing AWAs will also remain in place. Considering everyone now agrees that individual contracts were the key plank in winding back wages and conditions, this is hardly a radical shift away from Work Choices.

The laws will only include 10 very basic matters that will underpin Awards and Agreements. Rudd will also ask the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to ‘modernise’ and ‘simplify’ all of the current industry Awards. These buzz words are mere code for stripping back Awards to a bare minimum and the process will not lead to any improvement in working conditions.

Under Labor’s new laws ‘flexibility’ clauses in all Awards and Agreements will allow bosses to roll over many conditions into annualised salaries. What Howard achieved through individual agreements, Rudd is doing under the guise of ‘flexibility’.

The bill maintains all of the worst aspects of Work Choices. It makes next to no changes in relation to unfair dismissal and union officials will still be subject to the draconian right-of-entry laws. This hinders unions from organising and representing their members properly.

Workers will only be ‘allowed’ to strike in a bargaining period. Which is only when an agreement has expired. The requirement that workers will have to conduct a secret ballot before taking industrial action also stays. Any worker who takes ‘unauthorised’ industrial action will face fines of up to $6600 just as they did under Howard. Unions are still threatened with large fines if they don’t stick to the rules.

Disgustingly Labor has also said that it will maintain the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). The ABCC is armed with extraordinary powers that allow it to prosecute unions and workers for alleged ‘illegal’ industrial action. This body has been the main tool bosses in the construction industry have used to deal with unwanted strikes.

Not surprisingly many bosses are quite happy with the content of Rudd’s IR laws. Australian Industry Group chief executive, Heather Ridout said the Bill was “balanced and workable for business”. She knows that in an economic downturn it will be the Labor Party who will be much better placed to keep workers in check through their control of the trade unions.

Unfortunately instead of campaigning in the workplaces and on the streets to force Labor to introduce decent industrial laws, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have decided that they will waste millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to lobby conservative MPs.

This approach is a total waste of time. Considering the ACTU are professional negotiators you would have thought they might have got some better assurances than ‘Work Choices Lite’ before spending the millions of dollars getting Labor elected.

The union movement needs to take on an entirely different approach to politics. Because Rudd has no alternative economic policy to that of Howard he will be forced to carry out the same policies. Every time that will mean putting the interests of big business ahead of those of working people.

Rudd has already started preparing the working class with comments like “we must have wage restraint”. This proves that Rudd just like Howard is happy to let workers bear the brunt of any economic downturn while his big business mates are looked after.

The solution is for the union movement to organise an independent political and industrial campaign that is focused on shop floor organising and the mass mobilisation of workers. This campaign would produce propaganda, but mainly its task would be to organise industrial action to fight against individual contracts, to shut down the ABCC and to ensure we have the right to strike.

Anything short of this will only end in disappointment and the working class going backwards during Rudd’s time in office.

Socialist Party regional activity-

Victoria

SP Melbourne Branch

This week the Melbourne Branch of the Socialist Party will be having a political discussion on various environmental issues. The meeting will be held at 7pm on Wednesday March 5th @ Trades Hall, corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets Carlton. All members should try to attend.

Socialism 2008 - A day of discussion on a world in crisis!

The Socialist Party will be holding our annual Socialism event on the weekend of March 14 & 15 at Trades Hall in Melbourne. Our special guest for the event will be Pakistani socialist and trade unionist, Khalid Bhatti.

Khalid is the National Organiser of the Trade Union Rights Campaign in Pakistan (TURCP) and the leader of the Socialist Movement Pakistan (SMP). He will report on the situation in Pakistan, post the election, and talk about the Middle East and the War on Terror. Khalid will also be meeting with many labour movement leaders and activists whilst he is in town.

This event will also discuss all the main issues facing workers and young people in 2008. If you have an interest in revolutionary politics or want to find out more about the Socialist Party this event must not be missed!

The full agenda for the weekend is as follows-

Friday March 14th

7.00pm – 9.00pm – The Middle East and the War on Terror.
Speaker: Khalid Bhatti (Pakistani socialist & trade unionist)

Saturday March 15th

10.00am – 11.30am – World economy on the brink! Will China save Australia?
Speaker: Stephen Jolly (SP Councillor)

11.45am – 1.15pm - Environmental challenges in the 21st century.
Speaker: Kylie McGregor (SP)

2.00pm – 3.30pm – The future of the unions under Rudd.
Speakers: Dave Kerin (Union Solidarity), Anthony Main (UNITE)

3.45pm – 5.15pm – France 68: 40th anniversary of the biggest general strike ever!
Speakers: Khalid Bhatti (SMP) and Denise Dudley (SP)

Raffle

In order to pay for the costs of bringing over our Pakistani guest we have organised a special raffle. Tickets are $10 and the prizes are $400 first prize, $200 second prize and $100 third prize. It will be drawn on Saturday March 15 at Socialism.

To purchase some raffle tickets or to get a book of 5 on a sale or return basis contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

Costs

Money raised from entrance fees to the event will go towards paying for our international guests travel costs as well as advertising and room hire costs. The entrance fees are very cheap considering the expenses.

For the entire event the costs are $30 high waged, $20 low waged and $10 unwaged. For a single session the costs are $5 waged or $2 unwaged.

Venue

The venue for the event is Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets in Carlton South (Melbourne). All meetings will be held in Meeting room 1 which is located on the ground floor. Enter via the Victoria Street entrance.

After the sessions finish on the Saturday evening we will get together in the Trades Hall Bar. To book or for more information contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

New South Wales

To find out more about SP in Sydney contact Gary on 02 9728 7727.

To find out more about SP in Newcastle contact Samantha on 02 4968 1545.

Western Australia

To find out more about SP in Perth contact John on 08 9402 0728.

Rest of Australia

To find out more about SP anywhere else in Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

Join the Socialist Party

If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.

We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. For more info contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!

Become a supporter of SP by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. It only costs $20 per year or $10 concession and you will receive our paper delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and you will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the capitalist system. To subscribe phone 03 9639 9111 or email our National Office.

The March edition is out now! Pick it up from one of our street stalls!

News links just a click away –

World Economy: Global capitalism’s deepening crisis
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/02/27worlda.html

Poland: ‘Tesco Polska’ hit by strike
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/02/27polana.html

Venezuela: Contradictions in revolutionary process
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/02/26veneza.html

US: The ambiguity of ‘Hope’
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/02/26usa.html

Get Active - Join the fight back, Get Militant - Join the Socialist Party.

The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). To contact or join the SP or the CWI anywhere in Australia, or the world, call +61 3 9639 9111 or email our National Office.

‘Workers of the world unite – you’ve got nothing to lose but your chains’

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