
Issue No 100		29 June 2001

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Politics

Seven Days that Shook Our World

Chris Christolodulou surveys the wreckage from a week when the political and industrial wings of the labour movement collided.


	Parliament Picket

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They say a week is a long time in politics but nothing could be further from the truth when you consider the workers' compensation dispute and the events of the last few weeks or even months.

What should have been a very considered and sophisticated approach to reforming the workers' compensation system turned into a political crisis because of the government's inability to recognize the anger and distrust associated with its 'take it or leave it ' approach from day one.

Every concession made by the government in the proceeding negotiations was done so reluctantly, and as we found out on Friday the 15th of June they either misunderstood our position or were not prepared to stick to the agreement. They declared they would reintroduce the proposed reforms into the Parliament on Tuesday 18th June although we had asked for more time to resolve a number of outstanding issues, which we had clearly understood to have been previously agreed.

The events of Tuesday 18th June 2001 are now history, but I need to respond to some of the criticisms and inaccuracies levelled at the Labor Council and fire back some salvos of my own.

First and foremost, this was not a set of negotiations in the context of some factional dispute within the Party. This was a very serious industrial issue, which required good faith bargaining, and a high degree of trust to get an outcome which would be acceptable to the trade union movement and its members at large.

Unfortunately Della must have made a call that the historically conservative Labor Council would ultimately concede for the good of the government and that some how Della's drafting of one Ian McDonald to his Parliamentary Secretary's position would keep the so called hard left unions in their place. What the government and Della didn't understand is that nobody was going to sell their members short on what was and still is is a bread and butter issue for the trade union movement.

When the affiliates met on Monday, 17th June to discuss the government's so-called final package, there was outrage across the political spectrum of unions. The union movement was intent on making sure that nobody misunderstood our position. We didn't like the legislation and clearly our assessment was that it had the real capacity of reducing the access to and level of entitlements to injured workers.

A unanimous consensus emerged from the meeting to do everything possible to frustrate the passage of the Bill and to get the Government to agree to defer it or at worst agree to further amendments.

The Labor Council and its affiliates took the unprecedented action of organising a picket of parliament once it was reported that Parliament House staff were going on strike. We don't for one minute regret that decision.

What was regrettable were the decisions taken by the leadership of the Government, which simply exacerbated the situation on the day. Refusing to meet at Governor Macquarie Tower, crossing the picket line through the front entry rather than via the car park as agreed with the Police negotiator, and gloating victory signs did nothing more than to further enrage unionists and workers alike.

These actions just worsened the already fragile relationship which had built up between the political and industrial wings of the movement on this issue. The Premier could have got his people in via the back entrance, without the difficulties encountered by taking the so-called "tough" approach.

Questions need to be asked why this whole incident couldn't have been avoided by delaying the passage of the Bill to resolve the outstanding issues?

I hear many Labor parliamentarians both left and right are trying to rewrite history with respect to the picket. The reality is many members crossed the picket. (and I include those who snuck into parliament in the early hours of the morning ) Nothing will ever change that fact.

However we need to move on. Blood letting about who did or didn't cross the picket could simply become an unnecessary distraction .The main game is to try and resolve the outstanding issues.

On Monday the 25th June Bob Carr agreed to meet the Labor Council after we took the conciliatory action of lifting bans on government revenue. The Premier conceded a number of issues to us on the legislation. This unfortunately was too little too late and the anger against the Government increased dramatically as the acceptance of the concessions made by Carr were reported by the media as a defeat or back down by the trade union movement.

Nothing (of course) could be further from the truth. We had acknowledged on Monday afternoon following concessions made by the Premier the reality that the Bill would pass the Upper House with the support of the Liberals. In John Robertson's words "we needed to move on". The Bill dealt primarily with dispute and process issues, not the major issues of Medical Guidelines and Common Law. These of course are the big-ticket items which will ultimately determine whether injured workers will be better or worse off under the proposed changes. These are the issues which are still to be determined.

The largest mass meeting ever held in New South Wales took place on Wednesday, 27th June via Sky Channel. I attended one of the 300 odd venues (Liverpool Catholic Club). It was standing room only for the 600 people who attended. The workers at Liverpool like the other 200,000 odd workers left the room in no doubt about our position and much more informed about the dramatic effects that Della's new reforms could have on their working lives. They also left ready and willing to engage in the second phase of our campaign if called upon to do so.

Nobody should think that Workers Compensation will be swept under the carpet. At the same time all of us at Labor Council want to resolve this issue in a way that might restore the relationship between the industrial and political wings of the labor movement. But be under no illusions this won't be easy. During the next round of the campaign I hope our parliamentary representatives realise the seriousness of the issues.

The Labor Council may not be the Government's favoured son at the moment but history will recall the day we clearly put out members first and drew the line in the sand. Let's hope that in the next round of negotiations we can meet at that line and kick a goal for workers.

Chris Christodoulou is a deputy assistant secretary of the Labor Council of NSW

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Issue 100 contents

Interview: Baptism of Fire
It�s been a rugged few weeks for Labor Council�s new honcho. But John Robertson accepts it comes with the territory.

Politics: Seven Days that Shook Our World
Chris Christolodulou surveys the wreckage from a week when the political and industrial wings of the labour movement collided.

History: History Sometimes Repeat
This is not the first Labor government to attack workers compensation entitlements. Some believe the Unsworth Government�s 1987 reforms were the beginning of the end for that administration.

Technology: Unions Online: Where To Now?
Social Change Online's Mark McGrath goes looking for what's on the virtual horizon for the union movement.

Media: The Printed Word Revisited
Rowan Cahill looks at the resurgence of the workers press and the lessons for unions in better communicating with their members.

Unions: Time For Second Gear
The trends are in the right direction but unions are still drinking small beer in the IT world and need to allocate more resources to communications generally, argues Noel Hester.

Satire: Texan Governor Faces Execution
The governor of Texas has been sentenced to death row after a jury found him guilty of killing hundreds of people.

Review: The Insider
Neale Towart looks at a literary anti-hero who brings the factional machinations and double-deals of the ALP machine out of the back rooms and into the light.

» Picket MPs Face More WorkCover Heat

» Della Tries a Henry VIII

» Privatisation Opens New WorkCover Front

» The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Virtual Democracy

» Bank Staff Forced to Flog Insurance

» Email Surveillance Report Gathers Dust

» Fifty Years On, Women Still Short-Changed

» Firefighters Withdraw Strike Threat

» Telstra�s Sells Off Skills Base

» BHP - Billiton Faces $1.8 Billion OHS Claim

» Activist Notebook

» STOP PRESS: Quite Frankly, Reith Goes!