The following articles were published in "The Guardian", newspaper of
the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, August 27th,
2003.
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ACTU Congress falls into line behind the ALP
A delegate's observations
Trade unionists gathered in Melbourne at the Convention Centre from
August 18-21 for the triennial Congress of the Australian Council of
Trade Unions (ACTU). Most of the 800-900 delegates were organised into
officially sanctioned left and right factions, along similar lines to
those of the Australian Labor Party. There was little contest of ideas
or real debate over trade union objectives or policies. Delegates were
told to get behind the ALP and that is essentially what happened.
To all intents and purposes the Congress was a preparation for the
election of a Labor Government with the trade union movement, in effect,
adopting a "don't rock the boat" attitude.
The overall theme of the Congress was "working for a fairer Australia".
Sharan Burrow hammered this concept in her presidential address to
Congress. Titled "Australians Want A Fair Country Back", her report
said, "Fairness, tolerance, 'a fair go' - these are the values Australia
has always aspire to but they are now in contest."
She pointed to the many social and economic inequalities and injustices
which have only worsened in capitalist Australia.
The concept of fairness was mirrored in the "Statement of Australian
Union Values", the Future Strategies document and in the many policies
adopted by Congress.
These policies ranged from traditional workplace issues to social,
economic and political questions as well as international issues and
solidarity.
Working hours
Working hours and work intensification, casual employment and employee
entitlements were among those policies adopted. However no target for a
reduction of working hours was set despite the fact that many full-time
workers are now working up to 60 hours per week while overtime is often
unpaid.
Maternity leave was also on the agenda, but there was no demand that it
be funded by employers.
There were differences over a range of issues, but tight stage
management and scripted contributions were used to suppress dissent and
present a united trade union movement.
This aspect of Congress aside, progress was made in promoting struggle
over casual employment, unionisation of non-union areas and
strengthening unions in the workplace.
"A fair day's work for a fair day's wage" was touted as the solution to
workers' problems although this concept had been torn to shreds by Karl
Marx more than a century ago.
Some positive proposals regarding traineeships, labour hire, job
security, greater access to permanent work and other pressing issues
were adopted. Quite often they fell short of the mark by not directly
challenging the cause of the problem, instead trying to reduce the damage.
International guests
Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions addressed Congress, taking up the theme of "fairness
in the global economy".
Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO (US
unions); Ross Wilson, President of the New Zealand Council of Trade
Unions; and Willie Madisha, President of COSATU (South Africa) were
among the other international guests who addressed Congress.
Big business leader addresses Congress
There was a long list of other speakers, filling in a great deal of the
time. The most stunning and surprising guest was the Chair of the Qantas
board, Margaret Jackson AC. Jackson is no friend of the union movement.
She addressed Congress precisely at the time Qantas baggage handlers
were being sacked and management was attempting to replace them with
labour hire company workers. This proved to be an embarrassment to ACTU
officials. The baggage handlers took strike action and succeeded in
forcing Qantas to withdraw the labour hire company workers.
Margaret Jackson is also a director of the ANZ - another company that is
in the business of sacking workers.
Jackson was unflinching in her call for "flexibility", the very
"flexibility" - sackings and casualisation - that Congress was adopting
policies to fight.
In response to a question about Qantas' plans to contract out and
casualise work, Jackson said, yes, we have to make some decisions to
improve competitiveness.
Doug Cameron from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union took
exception to the choice of speakers and strongly expressed the
inappropriateness of such speakers at an ACTU Congress.
Strong ALP presence
Two state Labor Premiers addressed Congress - Bob Carr from NSW and
Steve Bracks from Victoria.
The purpose of the invitations seemed to be about the funding of trade
union training by the two governments.
Carr said they were committed to a "fairer Australia".
Bracks took the opportunity to give a lecture on the arbitration system
and emphasise Australia's fairness.
Simon Crean took to the stage but did not receive the usual standing
ovation accorded to Federal Labor leaders. He promised an agenda of
social reform from an ALP government including the restoration of
bulk-billing, and promised not to sell off the remainder of Telstra.
There seemed to be a strong mood of disappointment with Crean's
leadership among the NSW Right.
In all the guests included six Labor MPs as well as former Labor Prime
Minister Bob Hawke and Greens Senator Kerry Nettle.
A fairer capitalist Australia
The struggle for a better future being promoted during Congress was
steered towards a fairer Australian capitalist future.
The dominance of the ALP and social democrat thinking shaped the
international policies adopted, resulting in a mix of progressive
policies with outright reactionary ones.
In the case of oil workers in Venezuela, for example, the reactionary
role of right-wing trade union leaders whose aim was to bring down a
left-wing government while cementing the privileges and corruption of
the former directors of Venezuela's oil industry, was not recognised.
Where differences did surface they were often over how best to get the
ALP elected.
There was, for example, contention over non-union agreements. Whether to
oppose them outright at the risk of coming up against the ALP which
accepts them, or to fall into line with the ALP and accept them, which
they did for workplaces without a union member.
Greg Combet told delegates that they needed to support Simon Crean. He
told them to settle down and get behind their leader. From now on the
pressure will be on the trade union movement to go quiet and, thereby,
not harm Labor's electoral chances.
This false strategy has been often followed in the past but has only
weakened the trade union movement and resulted in a steady deterioration
of the conditions and rights of working people.
Weakness of Left
Although those who caucused as part of the Left were in the majority,
this position was not used to bring about any fundamental change in the
direction of ACTU policy or to break the subservience to the ALP.
It was very evident that the Accord ideology of co-operating with
employers to boost profits still prevails. Class collaboration and
right-wing Labor Party policies and theories dominated and these are
continuing to further weaken the trade union movement in the eyes of
many workers.
The dominant theme, even where relatively good policies were adopted,
was to look to the Arbitration Commission or changes to industrial
legislation to implement the policies rather than to organise the trade
union movement to struggle for them.
The Left were divided, at one stage moving separate and opposing
amendments to a policy. It appeared that some of the Left were also
concerned not to adopt policies that differed from those of the Labor Party.
There was an opportunity for the Left to have begun asserting its
independence and turning the policies of the ACTU towards trade union
struggle rather than class collaboration while putting the interests of
workers first. But this did not happen.
As usual the elections were a charade with backroom deals and positions
carved up between factions.
The presence of business leaders, funding from corporate sponsors and
the now customary cocktails on the Monday night (this time courtesy of a
legal firm) are all evidence of a further move towards corporate unionism.
The emphasis was on sitting down with employers, reaching amicable
agreements and avoiding conflict or struggle in the workplace.
For a number of rank and file workers and young organisers this was
their first Congress. They came with great expectations. But after
hearing their leaders, politicians, academics and MPs, and seeing a
Qantas boss on the platform, some were wondering what this had to do
with the realities of the workplace.
They are confronted with the class struggle on a daily basis. They know
that bosses never let up in their war against workers.
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