Re: City Rail Security Guards

["Peter Perkins" <peterp@tig.com.au>]

> And Peter, what are you going to do when the IRC directs the Union and its
> members to call off any industrial action? This is where the problem lays.
> The Union has its hands tied in that regard as it and its members can be
> fined if a directive from the IRC is ignored, thanks to Mr Reith.
> Unfortunately, the public think they do a good job in protecting them and
> will not be sympathetic for the Union's cause. The Union does however,
need
> to change this perception.

I'm not saying any of this is easy. But that we havent even tried. In the
1960s and even into the 70's, a period of relative prosperity for most
workers,  union leaders were prepared to go to gaol to acheive their goals.
We dont have any of that spirit of defiance that our forefathers sacrificed
so much for. What legacy are we leaving for our children?

1/ Part time and casual employment
2/ A workforce that is too scared to insist that it has the right to a
dignified existence.
3/ A workforce that is so selfish that they won't rock the boat because they
wont get 13days a fortnights work even if it is killing them and the family
never sees them.
4/ A workforce that will only do what it is told and yet takes no interest
whatsoever in working class issues.
5/ That believes what its union leaders say without questioning or being
actively involved in the decision making process. (although this position is
changing as people realise they are being duped)
6/ A workforce that can be hire or fired at will with none of the benefits
such as long service leave, sick pay or penalties.
7/ etc etc

Take the example of the Visy Board workers at Warwick Farm. They defied the
Industrial Commission on the pickets for a couple of weeks. In the end they
got their fellow workers reinstated and gained exactly what they set out
get.

There are numerous such examples, but such a campaign takes leadership -
something that is missing in large part right throughout the trade union
movement, including our own rail unions.

One of the reasons that we have had such a hard time recently is that our
unions are dominated by the NSW right wing ALP who are subservient to the
needs of the Carr government.

Does anyone remember the days of ARU reform which went within a whisker of
rolling the old guard under the Wran Gov. Maybe if they had won things would
have been so different today.

Anyway that was the past and we all have to become involved if we are to
change our common future.

The troubles we have now with the Reith Legislation stems back to the fact
that the trade union movement as a whole never mounted an effective or
serious campaign against the introduction of the legislation. Instead they
relied of the vote of the  Democrats who eventually sided with the
government anyway.
There are similarities in the new approach taken by the ACTU to the so
called second wave legislation that is about to be introduced by Reith.

This time we should all support any industrial actions to stop the
legislation at the same time pointing out the folly of relying on third
parties to do our bidding.

If we don't then it once again becomes fruitless to cry over spilt milk.

There can be nothing better than knowing that your concience is clear
because you have done everything feasibly possible for youself, your
colleagues and future generations by opposing the legislation.

More details about actions against the new legislation and other activist
meetings will be posted.