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Issue No. 270 | 01 July 2005 |
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After the Action
Interview: Battle Stations Unions: The Workers, United Politics: The Lost Weekend Industrial: Truth or Dare History: A Class Act Economics: The Numbers Game International: Blonde Ambition Training: The Trade Off Review: Bore of the Worlds Poetry: The Beaters Medley
The Soapbox The Locker Room Culture Parliament
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Letters to the Editor Don't Get Angry, Get Organised
Derek, I agree with you wholeheartedly, particualry your view that a strike is a tactic in any struggle. I guess that is the point. The overall strategy is, as you correctly pointed out, not a 'soft option', but one designed to raise education and awareness. This is even more important, given that it appears Howard and his cronies are preparing to spend $20 million dollars of taxpayers money to 'reassure' voters that the attacks on their rights at work 'won't hurt a bit'! The issue about industrial action, including strikes, is however a tactical one. In my view, the issue always is, what purpose does any proposed strike serve? Is to raise awareness, to allow angry workers to 'vent' their understandable rage at this attack, or to achieve leverage over our oppponents, including employers? I think once we have answered the question as to the purpose of any proposed industrial action, its usefulness or otherwise becomes clearer. I agree with you that no action should be ruled out in this camapign (other than actions that endanger the life or limb of another human being)however, the issue of which actions are appropriate need to be answered in in relation to their goals and purpose. I for one, would love nothing more than a general stoppage which would bring production in the country to a halt! However just writing this makes me realise how futile at the moment this desire is. It is futile, not because workers can't stop work, but because the only workers at the moment who would conceivably do it, are those already organised. I don't think that point needs labouring here. However, we could think a bit more about how we turn the community camapign to a number of 'actions' that involve workers doing something in solidarity with each other, starting with small things and developing into something bigger. One thing I think we should all keep in mind. In France and Italy with unionisation rates at or below those in Australia, broad social movements manage to bring those countries to a standstill from time to time over issues that mobilise large numbers of people. It is not that the trade union movements in those countries have big numbers as such. But they a! re able to mobilise and lead large numbers of peole, far beyond the numbers of people who actually belong to them. Could we think about this kind of approach and try and work through how we might build to a similar position? Yours in solidarity, Linda Carruthers
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