Excerpt from The Signal - Issue 189 4 February
Bulletin of Coomunications Electrical Plumbing Union, Communications Division, T&S Branch
Members would have read much on the current Waterfront dispute. Despite media and Government propaganda this dispute is not about productivity and efficiency. It is about a major assault on the long standing conditions of employment and remuneration of the Waterside Workers won over decades of struggle.
Federal Government Initiated
The dispute, (following the Dubai debacle) was initiated solely by the National Farmers Federation in collusion with the Federal Government. As in Telstra, the Federal Government is hoping to use their Anti-Worker, Anti-Democratic Work Place Relations Act to destroy working conditions and prevent employees from resisting, through their union.
Reith's lies
Reith and the Government have told a tissue of lies in order to denigrate the Waterside Workers and their union to try and create some justification for their anti-union, anti-democratic ideology.
For instance Reith constantly claims that the Waterfront is full of "rorts" (that's some claim for a Politician) and that the wharfies earn from $70k to $100k per year. The average stevedoring award rate is approx $30k per annum for a 35 hour week and in the big container terminals some workers can earn around $75k (with penalties and allowances) for working from 50 to 80 hours per week. There are many other Government lies that will be answered in the course of this dispute.
Union solidarity
The union movement including the CEPU is unreservedly supporting the Waterfront Workers. This NFF/Government campaign is not just an attack on the wages, conditions and rights of Waterfront Workers, but is essentially part of an all out war on the conditions and lives of Australian workers and their families on behalf of the Corporate Sector in Australia.
Reduced conditions and reduced wages for workers means higher profits for the Corporate Sector and their highly paid executive managers.
The Victorian Trades Hall Council is organising a Shop Stewards and Delegates Rally as part of the campaign to defeat the Howard/Reith/NFF union busting campaign at
10. a.m. on FEB 10TH AT DALLAS BROOKS HALL, EAST MELBOURNE
followed by a March to Parliament House to join a public rally at 12 noon.
Those members who can't make the Dallas Brooks meeting could attend the Parliament House meeting during their lunch time or flex time.
| THEIR STRUGGLE IS OUR STRUGGLE. |