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

Hundreds Rally to Support WA Workers

Hundreds of unionists gathered outside the Federal Court in Melbourne to support 107 Western Australian workers facing charges under the government’s new IR laws.
Union leaders including VTHC Secretary, Brian Boyd, and ACTU Secretary, Greg Combet, called on workers around the country to stand together to defend working people from this deliberate attack.

Workers on the Perth-Mandurah Rail line, dubbed the WA107, faced a hearing in the Federal Court in Perth. They are the first workers to be targeted under these new laws and face fines of $28,000 each.

In February this year the workers took action to support their sacked shop steward. Despite a settlement being reached with the employer, over three months later the Federal Government commenced legal action against 107 construction workers.

VTHC Secretary, Brian Boyd, told the rally that John Howard’s agenda was to destroy unions.
”The 107 WA workers are the first union members to face political persecution in nearly 40 years. Australians should be concerned they will not be the last.”
”Make no mistake, John Howard hates unions. He wants to attack working people in this country. It’s time for ordinary Australians to get rid of him.”

ACTU Secretary, Greg Combet, called on workers to support a “fighting fund” to help the WA workers and their families.
”These people are facing losing their homes. The fines add up well over two million dollars that this government is trying to take off ordinary Australians for sticking up for one of their workmates. It’s not on.”

In Perth Hundreds of workers and supporters rallied as the unionists went into the court. ACTU President, Sharan Burrow, told the crowd that this was an attempt to intimidate working people.

"This Government will be content when Australian workers are intimated and cowered and frightened to stand up," she said.
"But guess what, we've got a message for the Government: that day will never come."

Secretary of the WA Branch of the CFMEU, Kevin Reynolds, said the case displays the punitive nature of the Howard Government’s IR agenda.
“The only reason that building workers have achieved decent safety standards and wages and conditions in this country is because the union exists,” Mr. Reynolds.
“Under the Howard Government, the basic right to vote to take strike action in support of better conditions and a safe workplace has now been criminalised,” Mr. Reynolds.

Last month one of the WA107, Mal Peters and his wife Bernadette, visited trades Hall on a tour of the eastern states to gain support for their cause. Shortly after returning from his annual leave he was made redundant by Leightons Holdings.

WA Construction Workers Address VTHC Executive


More Archive

Powered By three squares