SP Newsletter No.277
The Rudd-Gillard government was elected in 2007 with a mandate to improve workers rights. Since then they have done exactly the opposite and pandered solely to the needs of the bosses. Labor has kept the vast bulk of WorkChoices, maintained the ABCC and now they want to water down hard won OH&S laws.

The government has established Safe Work Australia and they plan to draft a new ‘harmonised’ national OH&S law that will replace the nine existing laws across all states and territories.

The idea of harmonising the laws is not inherently bad, but what Labor are trying to do is reduce OH&S standards nationally to the lowest common denominator. Under the current proposals workers in some states, including Victoria, will lose out.

In Australia as many as 8000 workers are estimated to die each year from work related incidents or illnesses. On top of this there are 689,500 injuries and illnesses in workplaces each year. The idea that Rudd wants to weaken OH&S laws against this backdrop is a sick joke.

In Victoria the proposals will weaken rights to attend training, place restrictions on issuing Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) and directing a cease-work, as well as making it easier for bosses to disqualify elected OH&S Reps. The employers support these changes because it will tip the balance of power in the workplace even further in their direction.

As any worker will know, safety for a boss is an afterthought. Their main concern is increasing profits. Spending money to make workplaces safe only gets in the way of profits and they often fight tooth and nail against the most basic of improvements.

The reason that the Rudd-Gillard government is not using this opportunity to improve laws across the country is because they are in the pockets of employers. Time and time again they put the needs of bosses before the needs of working people. It’s time for the union movement to wake up and break ties with this big business party.

With the onset of economic crisis, more and more bosses will be attempting to cut corners. Now is the time for safety standards to be improved not watered down. We need a campaign of industrial action to protect and improve OH&S legislation. We can not allow the Labor Party to wind back our right to go to work and come home in the same condition.

The Socialist Party says:

Strengthen not weaken OH&S legislation
Prosecute employers who fail to provide safe workplaces
For a 24 hour national strike in opposition to Labor’s OH&S law changes
For industry stop works and safety audits after every workplace death and accident
For unions to break the link with Labor – No funds to a party that supports watering down OH&S laws

All unions mass rally in Melbourne

Next Tuesday September 1st at 10am outside Trades Hall there will be an all unions mass rally in protest at the watering down of OH&S legislation. Trades Hall is located on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South. SP members will be there from 9.20am with our campaign stall.

Upcoming SP meetings

The Melbourne Branch of the Socialist Party meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South. Upcoming meetings include:

2/9/09 – Building SP: Electoral work & community campaigns
9/9/09 – Is the press really free? A socialist view of the capitalist media
16/9/09 - Politics and protest music

For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.

News links:

Malaysia: Power struggle between BN and opposition PR
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/08/2702.html

China: Militant steelworkers’ action blocks privatisation
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/08/2701.html

Japan: Voters want end to rule of Liberal Democrats
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/08/2402.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.

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