SP Newsletter No.224
This week over 2000 Victorian union delegates packed Dallas Brookes Hall in Melbourne to discuss the situation facing construction union official Noel Washington. Under an ALP government, Washington is facing up to six months jail for refusing to attend an Australian Building Construction Commission interrogation.

Despite this most union leaders still cling to the coattails of the ALP. They tell members that, while not perfect, the ALP will ease the pain on workers compared to the Coalition Government. When looking at the ABCC however, the statistics show otherwise.

The ABCC boss, John Lloyd, boasted to the media in July that “in 2008, the ABCC’s activities have increased (since the election of the ALP Rudd government)…the number of investigations have risen compared to 2007.” Site visits from the ABCC have increased from 15 last November to 109 in June.

Unions were investigated 73% of the time, employees 11% of the time, and in only 7% were head contractors looked at. Now the ABCC is trying to jail Washington for doing his job.

In other words, workers throughout the country mobilised to get rid of the Howard government in order to stop the assault on workers’ wages and conditions. The result was the Rudd ALP government. In the construction industry things have gotten worse.

The Socialist Party, stands almost alone calling on unions to disaffiliate from the ALP and establish a new mass workers’ party. It makes no sense at all to pay millions of dollars to the same party that is attacking our rights.

Unfortunately the union’s unprincipled relationship with the ALP was not discussed at the mass meeting and a motion from the floor calling for a 24-hour stoppage when Washington goes to court was ruled “out of order” by the chair, Ann Taylor.

Taylor said “the motion was not in the spirit of the principle resolution”. It seems that according to the Trades Hall leaders anything that they are not in full agreement with should not even be democratically discussed!

The resolution that was passed did call for a mass rally on the day of the court hearing. This is a good start but as we have seen from the Your Rights at Work campaign mass rallies do not necessarily lead to governments changing legislation.

Industrial action will be required and it is a shame that the Trades Hall leaders did not use this meeting to have a full discussion about how the campaign will be run. Delegates were basically told to be on yellow alert and “we will get back to you when the court date is announced”. People were then told to leave the meeting and ask their members to send a protest email to Rudd.

Given the fact that talk about industrial action and the unions’ relationship with the ALP was left off the agenda it is safe to say that the Trades Hall leaders are not yet capable of mounting a campaign that will be able to scrap the ABCC. SP hopes that this situation will change in the not to distant future.

SP financial appeal

SP needs $20,000. Please read this important appeal and donate now!
http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/archives/1446

Help the SP election campaign in Yarra

All Victorian Councils will go to the polls on November 29. SP will be running a strong campaign in the City of Yarra. We will be defending Stephen Jolly’s seat in the Langridge ward and we will also be standing Denise Dudley in the Melba ward and Anthony Main in the Nichols ward.

We will need help letterboxing, staffing the pre polling booths and on election day. We also need to raise money to pay for the campaign. If you can help in any way contact our National Office on 0396399111. For more information about our work in Yarra visit.
http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/council

What’s on?

YCAT Fundraising Gig in Melbourne

Some of Australia’s best acts have donated their time to help build the Yarra Campaign Against the Tunnel. The gig will feature Culture Connect with Elf Transporter plus School of Dub, Natty Sistren and DJVJ. 8pm Friday August 8 at The Laundry, 50 Johnston St Fitzroy. This night will be big!

News links

Scotland: New Labour suffer electoral disaster in Glasgow East
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/07/28scotla.html

Pakistan: Telecom strike continues as negotiations fail
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/07/29pakisa.html

Lebanon: “National Unity” government masquerade to “renew” the system
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2008/07/30lebana.html

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, the system that is at the root of all of these problems. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. To join SP contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a membership application form.

Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!

Support the Socialist Party by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. Subscription rates are only $10 per year or $20 solidarity price. You will receive 11 copies per year 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 to ‘The Socialist’ contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a subscription form.

Socialist Party contact details

Melbourne: Phone Anthony on 0396399111.
Sydney: Phone Gary on 0297287727.
Newcastle: Phone Samantha on 0249681545.
Perth: Phone John on 0894020728.
Rest of Australia: Phone our National Office on 0396399111.
Rest of the world: Phone our International Office on ++ 44 20 8988 8760.

The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). The CWI is organised in over 40 countries across the world.

http://www.sp.org.au
http://www.socialistworld.net
http://www.myspace.com/socialistpartyaustralia