By Joe Myles - North West Organiser
Comrades is this a bad dream? Last year we got rid of that treacherous scumbag Howard, now nine months later the builder’s puppets aka the ABCC (Australian Builders Construction Commissioner) is still kicking us.
Kevin Rudd’s Labour has just extended the tenure of the commission that cares nothing for the wellbeing of workers and only for the profits at the big end of town. Injuries and deaths are still happening on building sites every week, but the precious lackeys of the employers are more concerned with the language of a few comrades in Melbourne.
Meanwhile our comrade and hero Noel Washington is being persecuted for doing what any true blue Aussie would do and stand by his mates. A cop trying to tell a building worker how to do his job makes as much sense as us telling them how to suck bats it’s just not believable. For them its money over safety, fortunately there are unions out there who will not stand by and watch these un-Australian dogs take every thing comrades past and present have fought for.
To beat this latest attack on us and trade unionism itself we’re going to have to take a stand together, shut jobs, challenge the government and hit these hungry bastards where it hurts in the hip pocket. When we do this the media government and others will tell you that you’re thugs, that what we are doing is un-Australian.
Yet nothing could be more Australian that’s why we have the best conditions for workers in the world. From the Eureka Stockade to the 8-hour day, a worker fighting for their rights is as Australian as vegemite. Despite the inevitable attacks, the Australian people know we’re standing up for what is right. Look at the ’98’ MUA dispute, tens of thousands of people on the picket line, donations coming from everywhere and the support of the working class Australian, all in the face of vicious attacks from the government and media.
If the MUA can stand up to Howard and Corrigan, we can fight Rudd, Gillard and the ABCC. It was us who voted against work choices that got Rudd into power, and now its time to remind him that it’s the workers who can take him out again. If we stand up, stick together and fight we will prevail and ensure the conditions we have now will continue for the generations to come.
I call on all of our members to educate your fellow worker, there are plenty of our workmates that are too young or just don’t know any better and it’s our job to enlighten them about the absolute necessity of being a member. For those putrid scabs that blatantly refuse to join lets make them aware of the stench that surrounds their freeloading existence. We are proud to be a union, proud to be BLF, so let’s not take that for granted. It’s time to fight and do what’s best, its time to defend our rights and liberties. Union forever!
