Council Campaign

Julia Gillard and Tony Maher, MUA council guests

Election eve national council focuses on how to attract swinging voters to Labor in key marginals and what's in store under a Rudd/Gillard Government

Three future Labor ministers and the leaders of the ACTU, Australian transport, mining and maritime unions addressed MUA National Council in October on the eve of the federal election.

Julia Gillard, ALP deputy leader and shadow minister for industrial Relations, Martin Ferguson, shadow minister for transport and Australian Workers' Union National Secretary Bill Shorten who is standing for federal parliament gave detailed reports on policies to be initiated under a Labor Government. ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence also addressed Council on the ACTU strategy on marginal seats campaigning and the union movement's role in securing a Labor victory to remove the anti worker WorkChoices legislation.

The October council was also the first since the union elections. Returning Officer Phil Byrne called for nominations to fill the presiding officers' positions resulting in Jim Boyle, national presiding officer, Mick Carr, deputy national presiding officer, and Chris Cain and Kevin Bracken, national vice presiding officers being elected unopposed.

Much of the week-long meeting was dedicated to reviewing the federal election campaign in key marginal seats run jointly by the maritime and mining unions in conjunction with the ACTU Your Rights at Work: worth fighting and voting for campaign.

Tony Maher and Peter Murray from the CFMEU mining and energy division joined Paddy Crumlin and Mick Doleman, MUA, in highlighting the importance of investing human and financial resources into getting Labor over the line.

Government conspiracy

"The Patrick lockout was the biggest dispute in the history of our unions," said MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. "I don't think there is any other dispute in our history that had the risk of finishing the union up. That's what Reith's laws and actions were designed to do - finish the union completely. We won in 1998 but there has been an ongoing conspiracy against organised labour in this country under the Howard Government resulting in the WorkChoices legislation and the complete undermining of legislative support for decent jobs and security at work. The shipping industry in particular has been subject to policy negligence and political corrosion for no other reason than it is well organised by our union."

The national secretary said Patrick was a grim reminder of what neo conservatives were capable of when they got control of government, and the ongoing importance of Labor in protecting working and living standards in our society.

Future IR minister

"This union has a proud history of standing up to the Howard Government," Julia Gillard told council. "You can look back with pride on how you stood up in 1998 and how you've continued to fight for the rights of workers and the community."

Demonstrating her understanding of the union and the maritime industry, the future IR minister said she noted the positive role the maritime industry plays in national security, in wartime and in combating climate change.

"People in your industry have security at the forefront of your mind everyday," she said. "Your people routinely see ships pulling up in our ports when we don't know who is on board and what is on board."

Julia Gillard noted how John Howard's neglect in investing in skills and training had impacted on the maritime industry. She said we all knew of people who could be employed, young people a bit outside the mainstream, kicking around looking for a way and role to play.

"All of these things I know are important to you and your members," she said. "But the single most important thing is industrial relations. You have been at war with the Howard Government. The policy Labor has adopted on IR is not everything the union movement may want, but it gives working people a fair balance in the workplace."

Outlining Labor's IR policy, Julia Gillard noted Labor's commitment to a genuine safety net of 10 legislated employment standards for all and additional protections in awards for workers earning less than $100,000; laws protecting workers from unfair dismissal, an independent umpire, protected industrial action during enterprise negotiations and the obligation for good faith bargaining if a majority of employees in a workplace want to collectively bargain.

"We know across this country Australian Workplace Agreements are being used to push people below the safety net. A Labor Government would commit to abolishing the Howard Government's unfair AWAs."

Labor's IR shadow minister also stressed that a Labor Government would put a stop to companies laying people off for so-called operational reasons only to replace them with cheaper workers or offer them their jobs back on cut-rate wages and conditions.

Stevedoring safety code

Labor would regulate against exploited foreign crews being brought in to do Australian coastal shipping, undermining Australian pay and conditions; and work with unions to promote safe workplaces and support a national safety code in the stevedoring industry.

But while noting Labor was looking good in the polls, Julia Gillard warned there was no guarantee it would win government.

Porkbarrelling and dirt

"When you turn the TV on you are amazed at the jaw dropping number of government ads running at around $1 million a day," she said. "The polls are great, but we shouldn't take anything for granted. In 1998 we won the popular vote but did not win government because we did not win the right seats."

Julia Gillard, who has copped more than her fair share of personal attacks from the conservatives, warned the campaign would get even dirtier: "We'll get the mother of all fear campaigns about our ability to run the economy. Dirty personal attacks on Labor frontbenchers and outrageous pork barrelling in key seats."

In thanking her the National Secretary referred to federal cabinet papers and other documents on the 1998 Howard Government conspiracy against the MUA that they have refused to release, blocking numerous Freedom of Information legal challenges in their desperation to avoid full political accountability. The MUA looked forward to a full disclosure under a Rudd/ Gillard federal government.

Paddy Crumlin said the union also looked forward to working with and persuading a new Labor Government to further strengthen the support for workers in any new legislation including in the right of access to worksites, phasing out of AWAs for high income workers and dismantling of the draconian Australian Building and Construction Commission

He invited Julia Gillard back to the next National Council in the event Labor was elected to give a full update on the new government's policy implementation program, particularly in industrial relations. The report was adopted unanimously and by acclamation.

Future transport minister

Martin Ferguson, who holds Labor's transport portfolio derided the Howard Government for trying to deny we are a shipping nation and undermining the industry from an ideological point of view.

"Australia is a shipping nation and we cannot afford to allow the shipping industry to fall further into decline," he said. "We need a strong shipping policy.

But for the last 11 years the Howard Government has set out to destroy the industry, simply because of its ideological hatred of the Maritime Union and its predecessor, the Seamen's Union, whom the Howard Government regards as a class enemy," he said. " A Federal Labor government will encourage the rebuilding of an internationally competitive Australian coastal shipping industry."

Shipping agenda

He pledged a Labor Government would rebuild Australian shipping over time so it could meet the coastal freight task.

"The Independent Review of Australian shipping by former transport ministers John Sharp and Peter Morris already covers all the issues," he said. "A Labor Government would waste no time getting all the parties in a room to work out an agenda and work through it."

Labor in government would also recognise Merchant Mariners' Day and ratify the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (The Seafarers' Bill of Rights).

"We should not forget that in World War II more than 30,000 Allied merchant seafarers were killed and more than 4,600 were recorded missing," he said.

We not only owe it to those fallen seafarers to ensure that our shipping industry has a future, but we also need to ensure that we have a merchant fleet capable of contributing to the defence of Australia, should the need ever arise."

Martin Fergusan said the MUA played important role in the modern labour movement and a policy leader - a leader in solving the nation's biggest problem - access to labour both skilled and unskilled. At the ALP National Conference the union called on an incoming Federal Labor government to consult with industry employers, unions, training institutions, AMSA, the industry skills council and State and Territory governments to rebuild Australia's maritime labour capacity.

In his address to leaders of maritime, road and rail unions from Australia and the Pacific including TWU National Secretary Tony Sheldon, National Secretary of the Rail Bus and Tram Union Bob Hayden, representatives from New Zealand transport unions, the Trade Union Confederation and Maritime and Transport Union of East Timor and the PNG Maritime Workers' Industrial Union as well as guests to National Council, the future minister pledged to deal with the skills shortage and the abuse of 457 guest worker visas by providing training opportunities and permanent jobs for transport workers from developing nations in our region.

He said the freight task would double by 2020 and AusLink would need to work with all sectors of the transport industry and all states to be effective. His comments were warmly received, however Bob Hayden pointed out the importance of ramping up Labor policies on urban transport funding. Fred Ross from the AMOU welcomed a potential return to constructive policies under a Labor Government that would open new opportunities for all Australian seafarers.

In thanking Martin Ferguson the National Secretary referred to the need for a regional transport policy that in developing skills and a stronger and more independent shipping industry also would develop forums to further the interests of all maritime workers particularly in the immediate Asia Pacific region, an area well known and supported by Martin Ferguson. The report was adopted unanimously and by acclamation.

Labor candidate

ALP candidate and outgoing secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, Bill Shorten, also pledged to support Australian shipping in government as he has done as a union activist and leader. Both the AWU and the MUA are working together in the offshore oil and gas industry to raise industry standards and protect workers.

"We need to be vigilant on cabotage," said Bill Shorten. "It's not a dirty word. Foreign shipping's contribution to the current account deficit is enormous. Australians like the beach but beyond the breakers we don't have a clue."

He said while a Labor Government may not be in the position to fully reverse the shameful neglect of so many years immediately, it would see the Australian merchant fleet grow and encourage new investment that would secure its future.

"We'll have a better climate under a Labor Government, a ray of sunshine, an ability to organise," he said. "And in future I hope that when a minister visits a ship or a job site he or she will also ask to see the union delegate not just the CEO."

The National Secretary thanked Bill for his long support in the cement and steel industries, which has been critical to the retention of Australian vessels.

33 days

Paddy Crumlin said it was crucial for the future of the industry and for working families that the union movement mobilised in the countdown to the election to ensure a Labor victory.

"We have to get out there and inspire our people to have that last race to the line and deliver all those swinging votes," he said. "The great thing about the majority of working men and women at the moment is that they might not be in love with unions - partly because of the media barrage against the movement - but they don't trust the boss much and particularly when they hold all the cards as they do under WorkChoices. Even Australians not in a union aren't scared of unions. In fact it is the reverse, they see us as important in preserving basic democracies in our community. Howard's fear campaign about the union movement is completely misdirected, and increasingly the public perception is that it is more about his prejudiced agenda than any public interest. Union members are nurses, teachers, and social workers as well as building and maritime workers. Cleaners and hospitality workers. Policemen and women. They are the people next door, not so called union bosses standing over workers. That's Howard bullshit and most Australian's know it."

Peter Murray of the CFMEU mining and energy division is leading the miners' side of the joint union yr@w campaign. He warned that the campaign needed a lot more effort and a lot more money.

"We started with two seats Dobell and Dawson, then we backed Greg Combet in Charlton, then Paterson, Mitchell and Macquarie and the two seat operation became a six seat operation overnight," he said. "Our tentacles of political action are getting wider and wider as the campaign continues."

John Howard's seat of Bennelong in Sydney is also targetted by MUA veterans. Sydney Branch secretary Warren Smith reported that the Labor candidate and former ABC journalist Maxine McKew had addressed the Sydney branch monthly meeting and given commitments around a range of industrial, shipping and maritime issues.

MUA Assistant Secretary Mick Doleman reported that private ALP and ACTU polling confirmed industrial relations was still a key issue in voters' minds and union commissioned polling had also found widespread support for Australian shipping (see box):

"This has been a two year campaign and it's paid off. Polling our members has identified such minor support for the government; it's not worth going after. What's important is we have identified activists and we have identified who is not on the roll so we can ensure all our members are enrolled to vote."

Maritime and mining yr@w co-ordinator for the Central NSW marginal seat of Dobell, Shannon Gleeson, said there was a real groundswell of support for the campaign.

"Young people have been struggling to find what unions are about," he said. "But they do know the role the unions are playing in the elections. We've got 2000 volunteers on a data base who we've been in contact with in the past weeks."

ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence told council there were enough union members in marginal seats across the country to swing the votes.

"The right to collectively bargain is one of the key differences between Labor and Liberal," he said. "Never before in Australian history have we had this right in law. Freedom of association is integral in a free and democratic country."

While it would take longer to get rid of AWAs than in the period Labor first agreed and there would be continued restrictions on union right of entry, he was confident a Rudd/Gillard Government would talk to the unions on these matters to ensure workers have the full protections that WorkChoices sought to remove.

Kevin Rudd, he said, was a man who can be swayed by an intellectual argument.

Deputy national presiding officer Mick Carr called for the union to continue to drive the YR@W campaign right up to the election day on November 24 to assist in ensuring the defeat of the Howard Government.

"Only when that is achieved can we finally declare that the 1998 Patrick dispute has been well and truly won and while it may have taken nearly 10 years to get there, it will be a clear demonstration of our resolve that the MUA is here to stay," he said.

The motion was adopted unanimously.

"We've got a red hot chance," Julia Gillard told council. "I'd rather be in our shoes than their shoes. We're certainly going to give it a go, Kevin and me and our national team. We don't want to die wondering if we could have done that bit more to win."

That too goes for all 11, 118 MUA members.

Next MWJ "on the campaign trail in Dobell"

Full council reports and resolutions will be published next MWJ with the financial report and mailed out to members before the Annual General Meetings of members in November.

Meanwhile copies of the union's financial report have been made available to members on the MUA website and through the branches.