Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

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Howard's demise: a win for workers

Monday 26 November 2007

By Brian Boyd, VTHC Secretary

The result of the recent Federal Election (24/11) is cause for great celebration for workers in general and the organised labour movement in particular.  It was first and foremost a plebiscite on John Howard’s draconian WorkChoices legislation.  These and all other IR laws had become an anethma to millions of hard working Australians.  They threatened their job security and their general standard of living by giving all power to the employer and no rights at work for employees, when negotiating wages and conditions.

It was an untenable situation.  The trade union movement, over many decades, has achieved many hard won gains (e.g. penalty rates, overtime rates, unfair dismissal rights, the right to trade union representation, etc).  All were threatened.

The election result passed positive judgement on the trade union movement’s three year ‘your rights @ work, worth fighting for, and voting for’ campaign.  With unprecedented mass rallies across the country (2005 – 2007), well thought out TV ads exposing some of the  vicious details of WorkChoices and a high profile, marginal seats campaign, this effort put the Federal ALP “in the frame” to win. 

This has been acknowledged by all serious commentators.

We should enjoy and bask in the demise of John Howard.  He made no secret of his obsession to weaken the ability of workers to collectively bargain in the workplace.  He wanted to have a first world country like Australia, to have it’s workforce exposed to basic third world economic forces.  His demise is important, even crucial to the struggle to set Australia on the course of becoming a socially progressive nation.

The departure of Peter Costello from the leadership of the conservatives is an added bonus from the election result.  He was an equally ideological warrior against workers rights.

It is time to re-set a positive political and industrial agenda.  The top of the list is to win back lost rights of trade unions to properly and freely represent workers.