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

• Inside Trades Hall
•  > Secretary's Report
•  > 2007 Archives

We must defeat John Howard – March 28 2007

March 28 2007

Plenty of things to do to achieve this end.  Promoting and preparing for the great community-union family day on Sunday 22 April next at the Myer Music Bowl is an immediate priority.

We have seen our unprecedented national mobilisations of 30 June and 15 November 2005, and 28 June and 30 November 2006.

When the trade union movement and its natural allies, within the community, mobilise against the conservative attacks on working people rights, there is a marked drop in support for the Howard government in the opinion polls.  Getting rid of the Howard government in Canberra is our number one priority.  Howard’s extreme, draconian industrial relations laws are designed to smother the ability of workers to act collectively and be effectively represented by unions.  Howard wants this to be his legacy above all others.

Similarly, his ‘welfare to work’ laws are aimed at increasing the punishment of the less well off in our society.

The VTHC is supporting the three–pronged approach by the ACTU to keep the ‘IR’ issue alive and well for this year’s Federal election.  This involves T.V. ads, activists working within the 20 marginal Federal seats across the country (there are three such seats in Victoria), and mobilisations and rallies involving the rank and file, at strategic times.

Such activities are crucial for the ‘Defend the unions/Your rights at work’ campaign.

There is plenty of gratuitous advice out there advising the ALP to become ‘modern’, embrace ‘fresh ideas’, ‘acknowledge Howard’s political strengths’ and step back from ‘class–war rhetoric’.  This is all code for leaving Howard’s basket of draconian IR laws in place and leaving workers with no power to bargain in a fair environment. 

The VTHC will also work with the Victorian Bracks’ government to ensure as much as possible a ‘fair go’ for Victorian workers under the impositions from Canberra.  There are many elements to the ongoing conservative attack from the Howard government.

Overall the challenges for us in 2007 are clear.  The hard work of the last two years holds us in good stead.  It sets us up for the tough, disciplined and united fight needed for the immediate future.