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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Sep-Oct 2008        |
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Southern Queensland Branch News 29 Nov 200729 November 2007By Mick Carr - Branch Secretary
ALP VICTORY 2007 - FEDERAL ELECTION VICTORY 2007 A great victory for working families and a total repudiation by the Australian people of the vicious attack by the Howard Government on Unions and the positive role they fulfilled in representing workers. Unions are an integral part of Australian society and the ruthless and unrelenting attacks by the Liberal/National Government for the last 11½ years has been derisive and damaging to our communities and the reputation of Australia. Australians have sent a very clear message that they want worker's rights protected and are sick of the stale scare-mongering and ideological rhetoric that has been the hallmark of the Howard years. The Union movement stood up to be counted when Work Choices was introduced and exposed the real agenda and have been rewarded with the massive support of the Australian people for the Labor Party in the crushing rejection of the Liberal/National Party policies. Industrial Relations is undoubtedly an economic issue and has a direct effect on the ability of people to consume and turn the wheels that make commitments tick and in tough times allows for basic protections. Howard's way which has been comprehensively rejected was to strip away basic protective minimums. Since July 2005 involvement of the Queensland Transport Unions Federation (QTUF) in adopting a clearly defined process of co-operation, actually pre-empted the YR@W campaign. The Rank and File participation in the subsequent YR@W campaign has to be commended. QTUF adopted the seats of Moreton and Bonner as targeted marginal seats with Kerry Rea elected as the new member for Bonner and Graham Perrett the new member for Moreton. The SQ Branch expended considerable funds in the marginal seats campaign. The YR@W campaign will be recognised in history as one of the most successful long running campaigns. Wheels are currently in motion to ensure the enormous benefits of engagement with the community continues, to ensure that the focus of well established partnership do not just sail over the horizon. National Secretary Paddy Crumlin made the following address to the Sydney Annual General Meeting: "Labor was elected to government - the Union would remind the ALP of their commitment to make public all the documents relevant to the 1998 waterfront conspiracy, blocked by the Howard Government by their distorted approach to the FOI legislation." "It's not just to expose John Howard, but that bastard Peter Reith," he told the cheering crowd. "Reith was rewarded for his role in the mass sacking of 3000 waterside workers with a plum job as an executive director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development based in London. That was his reward for the role he played in bringing in industrial mercenaries and snarling rottweillers onto the docks. And he should be called to account."
The Union had supported and helped finance the Freedom of Information Court Case run by the then Shadow Transport Minister Lindsay Tanner, but the government refused to allow the documents to be made public. "The defeat of the Howard Government is the final chapter in the 1998 dock conspiracy," Paddy Crumlin said. "In his 1998 findings, Justice North of the Federal Court found there was an arguable case that Patrick, the then Minister for Workplace Relations Peter Reith and others had engaged in 'unlawful acts as part of an overall plan to replace the workforce with non-union labour' and this was done in breach of the Workplace Relations Act. Attempts to overturn this decision in the High Court failed and a settlement was reached out of court to allow the workers back in the gates. The Union is convinced that that there are still documents linking the government with the attack." The National Secretary is right to highlight the Howard government's involvement in the illegal sackings of our Patrick members. It is only when those documents are released that the general public will have a true understanding of the lengths that Howard was prepared to go to, in order to seek to obliterate organised labour. Well John, you went too far with Work Choices. A successful campaign was enacted, now the Coalition are in disarray not only federally, but also in the State of Queensland. The Branch would like to thank those members who actively participated in the YR@W campaign. We are aware of the contribution of many of our Rank and File, whether letterboxing, protesting or manning Polling Booths. In recognition of those members' efforts, a BBQ will be held at the Union's rooms on Friday 7th December from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. Those members who participated actively in the campaign are invited to attend. ************************************************************************************************************************************ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The following resolution was carried unanimously at the Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 27th November 2007. "This Annual General Meeting held by the Southern Queensland Branch wish to commend the magnificent efforts of our Branch Officers, Your Rights @ Work Co-ordinators and Rank and File members towards the eradication of the Howard Government and its anti-worker legislation. In conjunction with other Unions, our Veteran members and progressive members of the community have been able to put a stop to this ideological driven attack on worker's rights and can now see a light at the end of the tunnel. In time, all involved will come to appreciate the truly historical impact of this campaign and how the removal of these legislative shackles will benefit all past, present and future workers. Never forget, workers united will never be defeated."
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