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

100,000 Rally Against Howard - 30 June 2005

Up to 120,000 workers and union supporters took to the streets today to protest the Howard Government’s Industrial Relations agenda. The Melbourne CBD was brought to a standstill by the march, which stretched from Flinders St Station all the way back to Trades Hall in Lygon St, a distance of 1.5km.

Union leaders and State and Federal Labor politicians led the march and addressed the rally outside Federation Square, praising people for coming out despite cool conditions.
Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary, Brian Boyd, said the rally was one of the biggest trade union demonstrations Melbourne has seen in the past decade and highlighted the importance of the trade union movement in Australian history.
“John Howard has to remember that some of the most important achievements in this country have come about from the work of the trade union movement.”
He told the massive assembly that trade unions were national icons responsible for many important benefits for working men and women that would not be given up easily.
“We’ve been here for over one hundred years and we’re not going anywhere,” he told the massive assembly.
Federal ALP Leader, Kim Beazley, also addressed the crowd saying John Howard had misinformed the Australian public about his industrial relations agenda during last year’s election campaign.
“Make no mistake, this has been a long cherished dream of John Howard, to try to destroy the Australian union movement and dismantle Australian worker’s rights. From Friday he believes he will be able to do so.”
Mr Beazley also said the ALP would work to ensure that no worker is worse off because of the forthcoming changes.

Other speakers included State IR Minister, Rob Hulls; ACTU Secretary, Greg Combet; Father Peter Norden; Ethnic Communities Council representative, Phang Ngyuen; and Kemalex worker, Danna Davic.

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