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Issue No. 134 | 03 May 2002 |
The Hijacking of May Day
Interview: Youth Group History: Back To The Future Industrial: On the Street Unions: The New Deal Legal: The Police State Road Women: What Women Want Politics: Street Party International: The Costs of War Review: Songs of Solidarity Satire: Bono Satisfies World Hunger for Preachy Rockstars Poetry: Woomera
Yarra Seamen Take Border Stand Kinkos Copies Anti-Union Script Nike Told to Shoosh on Sweatshops Rapper Wins Wobbly Anthem Prize Unions Target Labour Hire Bidding War Rally Targets Tight-Arse Costello Councils To Be Audited On Language Allowance Scope For Payback In Privacy Limitations Heavyweight Push For Medibank Private To Stay Public East Timor MPs Question Timor Gap Plan Artists' Union Bans Voice For Peace
The Soapbox The Locker Room Bosswatch Week in Review Tool Shed
M1 Open Letter Julian Online May Day Debacle Mothers Day Musings Greetings From Canada
Labor Council of NSW |
Letters to the Editor M1 Open Letter
The M1 Alliance writes this open letter to NSW unions to request their involvement in further May 1st demonstrations. In Sydney, in the face of heavy police intimidation, around 1200 people joined both the blockade of the offices of ACM and later the Unity Rally and march from Martin Place. Support for M1 came from a broad range of groups including the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Progressive Young Hazarias, The Wilderness Society, Refugee Action Collective, PNG Solidarity Collective, Sydney People Against a New Nuclear Reactor (SPANNR) and Action for World Development. The M1 Alliance had good relations with the union May Day Committee, and the FSU and a number of other unions participated on the day. The NSW branch of the NTEU actually endorsed M1. It is of great significance that there is a growing number of young people involved in such protest who see organised trade unions as a very important and powerful vehicle for change. In fact, the loudest applause at the Unity Rally came after Sean Chaffer from the MUA and May Day Committee spoke. M1 recognises that coming out in protest on May 1st is fundamentally about showing our solidarity with working people around the globe and we look forward to developing these alliances in the future. In a world where corporate interests increasingly take precedence over real social needs, a growing anti-corporate movement has risen to respond. The strength of this movement has been its unity and diversity as major protests continue to mobilise a huge range of people against the negative effects of corporate-led globalisation. It is against the negative impacts of corporate-led globalisation � privatisation, environmental destruction, attacks on unions, crippling Third World debt, increasing social inequality, the imprisonment of refugees � that M1 protesters have come out in their thousands. For millions of people the day to day struggle against the effects of corporate-led globalisation fundamentally takes place in the workplace � and not just in Nike sweatshops. When WTO agreements effectively force the lowest common denominator in terms on wages and conditions onto working people, a global response is required. This requires raising the issues associated with corporate-led globalisation and spreading them as far and wide amongst ordinary people as possible. A show of solidarity and strength on May Day is a very important part of that process. Millions of people and hundreds of unions around the world marched and protested this year on May 1st � from Melbourne to Zimbabwe to France to the Philippines to Chile. The M1 Alliance encourages NSW unions to become more involved in the May 1 day of action and wish to make clear our desire to work with you in any way to make this possible for next year.
Long live May Day.
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