E D I T O R I A L

Lights Out on The Hill
If it's any consolation, the Labor Party is not alone in tying itself into knots over what it stands for in the 21st century.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Change Agent
ALP national secretary Geoff Walsh on the changing nature of politics, the influence of the corporates and the upcoming review of the party.

Industrial: Balancing the Books
Jim Marr talks to one of the beneficiaries of the historic equal pay decision for librarians and archivists.

Unions: Breaking Out
When a bank executive stepped into the witness box to defend the gagging of a worker from talking to the media, the excuses collapsed into a sea of psycho-babble.

Politics: Pissing on the Light on the Hill
Paul Smith argues that those who don�t like the ALP's Socialist Objective should consider joining another party.

History: Of Death and Taxes
He was a conservative economist who became the darling of the Left. Neale Towart looks back on the myth and realty of James Tobin.

International: Now That's a Strike!
After one of the largest mobilisations of workers in history, Italian trade unionists are planning to do it all again.

Satire: Mugabe Voted Miss Zimbabwe: Denies Election Rigged
The newly re-elected Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, has officially been crowned Miss Zimbabwe, describing his triumph as �a victory for black fashionablism�.

Poetry: Flick Go The Branches
Once upon a time, the song �Click Go The Shears� could be heard echoing through the pubs of vibrant country towns.

Review: Red, Red Clydeside
Renowned folk singer Alistair Hulett is currently touring Australia with his new album �Red Clydeside�. He speaks to Nick Martin.

N E W S

NAB Gambles, Aussies Lose

Brogden's Worker Creds On The Line

Cole Cleans Up

Melbourne Faces Budget Day Gridlock

Equity Drive Gathers Steam

Unions Call for Middle East Peace

Queensland Casuals Step Forward

Worker Stood Down for Dunny Action

Zoo Workers in Wage Jungle

Indigenous Jobs on Union Agenda

Building Workers Honour Fallen Cop

Robbo and Latham to Go Three Rounds

ACT Health Workers Flex Muscles

Small Victory at Shangri-La

Casual Rights On Agenda As Full-Time Jobs Collapse

Workers Health Centre Offers Affordable Care

Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
What's Wrong With the Liberals
Liberal figure and ARM chief Greg Barnes argues that the modern Liberal Party has little to do with liberalism.

Sport
When The Axe Comes Down
Phil Doyle braved the crowds at the Royal Easter Show to witness one of the giants of the wood-chopping game.

Week in Review
Battle Cries
What an Easter � Sydneysiders soak up the sun saluting Sunline while, elsewhere, the dogs of war are slipping their chains.

Postcard
Razor's Edge
Vince Caughley writes from Woomera where he participated in the protests over the Easter Long weekend.

L E T T E R S

WHAT YOU CAN DO

	About Workers Online
	Latest Issue
	Print Latest Issue
	Previous Issues
	Advanced Search

other LaborNET sites

Labor Council of NSW
Vic Trades Hall Council
IT Workers Alliance
Bosswatch
Unions on LaborNET
Evatt Foundation

Puplick's Sermon

If Chris Puplick thought he was scoring some points for the Liberal Party by drawing the attention of the NSW Labour Council to instances of apparent union support for discrimination (Workers Online #129), he wouldn't be thanked by many of his more hard-headed colleagues.

Puplick was correct in saying that unions in Australia do not have a perfect record on the topic, since quite a few unions adopt a "don't rock the boat" attitude to prejudiced attitudes amongst the membership. Further, we must never forget that for decades the mainstream union movement supported the disgusting "White Australia" Policy. Puplick's mistake, however, was to forget the sole beneficiary of prejudice & division amongst the working class - the employers.

Racism, sexism, homophobia & other forms of discrimination are not simple "bosses' conspiracies", but employers often use whatever prejudices are around if they need to secure a cheap labour force, break a strike or undermine a common union front. In Australia today, a major way in which they do this is by exploiting prejudice against undocumented immigrants. By the use of open or implied threats of dobbing, bosses who employ undocumented immigrants can pay way under the award rate and impose shocking working conditions. They can only get away with this, however, if they can be confident that the rest of the working class will leave those workers in the lurch in the event of the dirty secret coming out. Any worker who refuses support to undocumented immigrants is giving the whole employing class a free kick by supplying employers with a horribly exploited workforce with which to undermine the position of the rest of the working class. Further, any union which goes along with this is betraying its membership &, in the long run, courting disaster.

Discrimination & prejudice serve the interests of the employers and thus you'll find Liberal hard-heads will run dead on the issue. Certain Liberals (who will remain nameless) even actively exploit it if they think they can get away with it. Workers, on the other hand, need solidarity, not division. The working class is so diverse, though, that it can only build that solidarity by returning to the foundation principle of unionism:

"An injury to one is an injury to all."

The working class & the employing class have nothing in common. By using our strength to fight racism, sexism, homophobia & other forms of discrimination, we will be building the new society within the shell of the old.

In Solidarity,

Greg Platt

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 130 contents

© 1999-2002 Workers Online
Workers Online is a resource for the Labour movement
provided by the Labor Council of NSW
URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/130/letters1_one.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005