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  Issue No 98 Official Organ of LaborNet 01 June 2001  

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The Soapbox

Once Was a Big Australian


BHP workers at Port Kembla are bracing for a fight over outsourcing of jobs. Arthur Rorris sets out the battle lines.

 
 

Arthur Rorris

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Full marks to Lance Hockridge for keeping a straight face when he announced to the media that 'heavy handed' tactics, 'intimidation' and 'harassment' were being practiced during the 72 hour BHP stoppage last week. I kept a pretty good eye on the peaceful assemblies and can honestly say that the most threatening and intimidating thing that I saw was a savage short ball bowled by a union delegate in the cricket game outside the north gate.

Suspecting, however, that the Big American's PR machine was going to try some Joy Mining style tactics I made a point of approaching several of the covert surveillance teams who, from within their unmarked cars and a distance, were spying on the workers. After their initial shock, I invited them up to the peaceful assemblies where they could get some better quality footage and maybe even a cup of coffee. They politely declined and explained that they had a job to do.

So friendly was the atmosphere that many BHP essential services staff, who the unions exempted from the stoppage in the interests of safety and the efficient maintenance of the plant, actually hung around at the peaceful assemblies and shared their thoughts on the dispute. They too have fears for their own jobs given the outsourcing approach of BHP management.

So why does BHP management feel threatened, harassed and intimidated? The simple answer is they are not physically or personally under threat, the only threat is to their power, and they don't like it one little bit. The master does not expect his servants to disobey orders so when workers unite and take action to protect their jobs the boss feels a little powerless because the workers take control and call the shots.

Workers do not go on strike and form peaceful assemblies outside the gates of their employer to exert their physical strength. They do so to send a strong message to management and to inflict economic pain when that is the only language the boss will understand. It is the display of unity, determination and collective power, not the imaginary threat of violence, that scares the hell out of the boss. This, combined with the solidarity and principles of other workers who refuse to scab on their mates, isolates and ultimately forces the employer back to the negotiating table where such issues should have been dealt with in the first place.

The reason, however, why the BHP spin doctors resorted to creative stories about the peaceful assemblies was to divert attention from the issues at the heart of this dispute. Frankly, I don't blame them. It is pretty hard to convince the people of Wollongong that sacking 50 loyal protective services workers and allowing the wages of the remainder to be slashed by 20 to 40 per cent by a contractor is good for this town.

When Lance Hockridge tries to justify BHPs ongoing attack on the jobs, pay and conditions of their employees at Port Kembla, he talks of the pursuit of "excellence" and draws the distinction between "core" and "non core" services. It's an unfortunate choice of terms because it was the same excuse that Prime Minister John Howard used when he broke his 'non-core' promises to the Australian people. Like the Prime Minister, BHP has a credibility problem and its not just because of the local boss's proven track record of "excellence" in closing down steel plants.

In his article on May 24, Mr Hockeridge stated that he had "no intention of moving to individual contracts for our employees". That may sound strange given that this dispute is largely about BHP's protective services employees being told that unless they signed an individual contract with Serco they would not keep their jobs in protective services. But as Lance points out, by contracting the work out, they won't, technically be BHP's employees they will be Serco's.

What BHP is really saying is if you want to cut costs by slashing the wages and conditions of your workforce but you are bound by industrial agreements which protect the rights of your employees there is another way. Contract out and get another company to do the dirty work for you. That is the real agenda here and it has nothing to do with "excellence", it has everything to do with BHP's bottom line.

If BHP was fair dinkum they would use The Steel Industry Development Agreement (SIDA) to which they are a party as the vehicle to resolve this dispute. The fact that they chose confrontation as opposed to negotiation illustrates the change in management style in BHP and the Americanisation of what was once known as the Big Australian.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, BHP won't get very far in this dispute by insulting and accusing its unionised workforce of self-interest. Mr Hockridge, these men and women have seen their numbers slashed from over 20,000 to 6,000 in a decade all in the name of efficiency, productivity and the survival of the steel industry in our region. This process was undertaken with the cooperation of the steel industry unions who didn't like it but committed themselves to it for the sake of the industry and long term employment opportunities for our community. The steel workers, their families and the trade union movement will remain in this town and part of this community long after BHP Flat Products spins out of Wollongong in the next year. So forgive us Lance for our selfishness in protecting the rights and promoting the interests of workers in our region.

Arthur Rorris is Secretary of the South Coast Labour Council. This piece was first published in Forum, Illawarra Mercury, Monday May 28, 2001


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*   Issue 98 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Balancing the Books
Opposition Finance spokesman Lindsay Tanner on bringing a Labor agenda to managing the nation�s finances.
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*  Compo: Undampened Spirits
Despite atrocious weather, building workers took to the streets this work over the carnage in their workplace. Mark Hebblewhite was there.
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*  Unions: Giving Blood
Local government workers are mounting a campaign to have leave to give blood donations recognised in their award.
*
*  Women: A Checklist for Women Voters
With a mountain of demands on Australian working women, the biggest question could well be which is the biggest?
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*  History: May Day Meditation
May Day has been and gone, but we thought Peter Linebaugh�s take on its meaning was worth reading on all the other days too.
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*  International: The Weeks of Living Dangerously
The now almost inevitable fall of Indonesia�s President Abdurrahman Wahid could have drastic consequences for the increasingly militant working class movement in that country.
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*  Economics: No More Mr Nice Guy
In his new book, Steven Keen outlines why the public needs to know that economics is intellectually unsound.
*
*  Satire: NZ to be Disbanded
Following the successful disbanding of the armed forces the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, has unveiled a new bold plan to total disband the entire nation.
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*  Review: Action in the House
Workers Online�s Big Brother Addict argues the time has come for the contestant�s to take some industrial action.
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News
»  Twenty Grand � The Cost of a Life in 2001
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»  Compo Protest Virtually Ignored
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»  Workers Tell Jodie: It's a Bit Rich
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»  Disbelief at Dubai in the Sky
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»  Wage Rise For Two Million Workers
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»  Casuals Win Parental Leave Rights
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»  Egan Budget Welcomed � But Social Audit Still on Agenda
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»  Bad Rosters �Like Being Drunk�
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»  Nurses Act on Ward Rage
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»  Council Workers Brace for Border Skirmish
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»  Meatworkers Win in Federal Court
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»  Hotel Bosses Linked to Tobacco Industry
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»  Workers Demand Treaty With Indigenous Australia
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»  Activists Notebook
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Columns
»  The Soapbox
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»  The Locker Room
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
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Letters to the editor
»  Pop and Politics - Where's Billy??
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»  Satire is not Serious
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»  Toasting May Day
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»  WorkCover - Questions for NRMA
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