
Issue No 73		13 October 2000

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Review

Poetry For Workers By Workers

By Neale Towart

Poems about the trials and tribulations of a waitress and what you learn in a chocolate factory are among the gems from the 925 anthology.

In the era of mass unemployment in Australia, during the notorious "razor gang" days of Malcolm Fraser (maybe today we would look upon them a bit more kindly in comparison to the horrors that have come since), a group of Melbourne poets began writing about "work". Some of these poems have been collected from the magazine 925 and represent a cultural response to the economic crisis that faced Australian society in the period 1978 to 1983. 925 became the largest circulating small press venture in Australia, with over 3000 copies per issue. This anthology represents a unique look into the machinery of everyday life. 925 became a touchstone of performance poetry throughout Australia.

Ian Syson, editor of Overland contributes a stimulating preface, and the collection is edited and introduced by jeltje, one of the founding editors of 925.

Syson disarmingly begins by apologising for remarks he made decrying the absence of organised Australian working class writing since 1970. He was upbraided on this point by a speaker, Virginia Clarke (who ended up running against Pauline Hanson in 1998) pointing out the importance of 925 in terms of politics, effectiveness and content, and that it was just as important as any working class publication that preceded it.

925 published poems about builders' labourers, draughtsmen and women, clerical workers, mothers, shop assistants and just about every other occupation (155 occupations were poeticised in all).

jeltje sets out what got the magazine started. As he says, "Work is within everyone's range of experience, cutting across divides of race, class and gender. 925 became a community that came together to write about work, to encourage others to do the same, and to work together... "From 1978-1983 we attempted to counteract the reactionary forces at work in Australia".

The poetry is sad, funny, gritty and arresting. The typefaces and layout are part of the whole, with cartoons, photos and sketches essential to the whole feel of the project. A small taste of some of the work follows.

To get hold of this collection, contact: Collective Effort Classics of Australia; PO Box 2430V GPO Melbourne 3000. It will cost about $15.00 with postage included.

david g. harris; untitled

And how did you come to leave your last job?
Diplomacy.
Diplomacy? How come?
Well, everyone else says:
"Boss, I feel sick.
Can I go home?"
But what I said was:
"Boss, I feel sick.
Will you go home?"

stefan ziolo - "The things you learn in a chocolate factory"

The other day,
They gave me a new guy to work with:
A Polish guy
(been in Australia 3 weeks)
After a week
I could say:
"Tak", "Nie", "Dziekuye" & "Dobranoc"
yes no thank you & good night
He can say:
"How are you", "Thank you", "Smoko", "Lemon BonBons",
"Cherry Ripe", "Chocolate Eclairs", "Carmel Whip", "Country Mints", "Orange BonBons", & "Jelly Beans"

cynthea brodribb; untitled

maybe it's because
I dislike fighting off randy foremen
or maybe it's because
I don't know anything about football
or maybe it's because
I never watch Ernie Sigley
or maybe it's because
I never got to enjoy the sunshine
or maybe it's because
the work I do is starving my brain
whatever it is
this factory & me don't get on well.

caterina passoni; two types of waitress

I work ten hours for eight hours pay.
"That's better than double that for none!"
My husband won't believe I've left his employ.
It hurts him I should serve all these tables
Italian food to strange men.
He wonders why I never served him
with such civility.
"Perhaps you have changed.
I want you back."
He observes my room above my work is dark.
It is dark,
But it's mine and private.
I have changed. That's why I won't go back.

Most of the poetry demands to be read aloud, or looked at for the visuals. They are performance pieces. Check them out. Many of the writers are still writing and performing. jeltje, Thalia and X.o are probably the most prominent and can be seen and heard regularly in Melbourne. Mike Ladd, one of the contributors, presents Poetica on Radio National each week.

Red Lamp today continues the tradition. See http://www.geocities.com/red_lamp/index.html for Red Lamp online, a journal of realist, socialist and humanist poetry.

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 73 contents

Interview: Righting The Wrongs
Improving the lives of Aboriginal people can't be taken out of the context of the economy, welfare and other areas says Bob McMullan, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Economics: At The Mercy Of Gamblers
The plunge of the Australian dollar relative to the greenback has consequences for Aussie workers according to Frank Stillwell.

History: Labour History Under Seige Again
The Friends of the Noel Butlin Archives Centre have recently been informed of proposed changes to the Noel Butlin Archives Centre (NBAC), changes that will cut staff by more than 50% and leave the Archives mothballed in the tunnel where the repository is situated.

Workplace: Fighting The Flexible Firm
We are told that hardship and exploitation at work is dying out, and the new economy offers opportunity, freedom and job satisfaction for all. Richard Sennett unveils the true nature of the flexible workplace.

Safety: Being bossed around is bad for your health
A survey of more than 3,000 Australian workers has revealed that some 54% of workers experience intimidating behaviour in their workplace. In almost 85% of cases it is employers, managers and supervisors who are identified as the culprits.

Unions: Discrimination
New to the union and the maritime industry and with only a few days casual work to live off, Stephen Rolls courageously spoke up against individual contracts during a job interview with Burnie Port Corp.

International: Serbian Workers and Their Unions Fight for Freedom
Serbian workers and their unions have been at the forefront of the struggle for democracy in Yugoslavia as they led a general strike in response to attempts by President Slobodan Milosevic to nullify the defeat he faced in the Sept. 24 election.

Satire: A few more years of civilised brutality will advantage Aborigines: Ruddock
CANBERRA, Tuesday: The Minister for Reconciliation Philip Ruddock has defended his comments to French newspaper Le Monde claiming that Aborigines were disadvantaged because they were late in coming into contact with developed civilisations.

Review: Poetry For Workers By Workers
Poems about the trials and tribulations of a waitress and what you learn in a chocolate factory are among the gems from the 925 anthology.

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