Take the struggle up to Howard

indonesia / philippines / australia | workplace struggles | press release Thursday November 30, 2006 07:11 by Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (MACG) - Anarkismo

Build a General Strike!

Leaflet distributed today at the big union rally and march at MCG and then the central Melbourne against Howard’s new industrial laws (Work Choices).

Take the struggle up to Howard!

Build a General Strike!

No choices

Howard's anti-worker laws are appalling, and everyone knows it. The barefaced lies about “choice” are contradicted by the horror stories of people being sacked and offered their job back with a massive pay cut, of workers losing “protected” conditions at the stroke of a pen, of bosses demanding draconian AWAs as the price of having a job at all. This is capitalism, here, today.

The bosses won't hold off forever

If big business hasn't yet used the laws against most workers, it's not because they're are nice guys. It's because they're afraid. They're worried we might fight back and they're worried about the electoral fallout. This situation, though, can't last. After the election, big business will launch attacks on the broad workforce. They'll be hoping to take advantage of a Liberal victory “legitimising” Howard's anti-worker legislation, but in any event they'll need to protect their competitive position. Nobody will be safe.

The ALP won't save us

A “Labor” government will be no saviour for workers. In the first place, it would have to get any repeal of “Work Choices” through the Senate, which they are highly unlikely to control. More importantly, however, the ALP is desperate to prove its credentials to big business, which would not tolerate any substantial erosion of the State-enforced supremacy of employers. If business is willing to accept ALP amendments to industrial relations laws, it would only be as a strategic retreat in the face of a grassroots movement of workers themselves.

Build a general strike

We must control the struggle ourselves and not surrender it to union officials who are more interested in boosting the ALP's business credentials than in winning disputes. All workers who resist the bosses' demands should be supported to the hilt through solidarity action and every dispute is an opportunity to spread the struggle further. To knock off the laws for good and stop an offensive by business using their powers under Work Choices, though, we need a general strike and we need to start building for it now. This struggle is too important to lose.

The rank & file have to take charge

Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group

30 November 2006

macg1984@yahoo.com.au Notes: MCG is Melbourne Criket Ground, a big sport stadium. ALP is the Australian Labor Party, currently in opposition in federation level but in the government in all the States and Territories of Australia. John Howard is the prime minister.