krudd govt allows howards laws to target unionist
May 10th, 2008
An organiser of ‘Union Solidarity’ a pro union activist group in Melbourne, is being questioned by the police under Howards anti-union laws.
Union Solidarity organiser Dave Kerin in is facing 6 months in jail if he refuses to produce documents in the possession of Union Solidarity detailing the names of all people associated with the organisation, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, (especially those employed by Hawker de Havilland Aerospace, a subdivision of Boeing), all documents referring to any strike actions proposed or actualised, and records of all monies donated or paid by members of the AMWU to the Union Solidarity cause. Kerin was required to provide thes documents to the police on May 8th. Refusal to produce the documents is an offence under section 819 of the Act. Kerin has refused and now faces 6 months imprisionment. This law is not subject to judical discretion - in other words judges have no choice under this legislation but to apply the 6 month sentence.
On 14 April 2008 Boeing, aerospace and military multinational, won the right to compensation for losses caused by over 700 strikers in a stop work action - alleged by Boeing to cost them $1,000,000 per day. That court decision included: a compulsory period of non-organising and dissallowing any further work ban actions (unless allowed by Boeing) or face jail. “The dispute started on Monday April 7 when Boeing sacked a worker and suspended another without going through the agreed dispute settlement procedure. Workers believe that another 8 face a similar fate. Efforts to the resolve the dispute failed on Wednesday April 9 workers walked off the job” (Union Solidairty) . Boeing then started legal proceedings against the workers.
In November 2006 former PM John Howard brought in widely unpopular anti-union legislation, ‘Workplace Relations Act 1996′. The Act provides for hefty fines and costs to be paid to employers by striking workers.
PM Kevin Rudd came to office under the claim that he would restore justice to the workplace by repealing WorkChoices. But he has failed to remove other prohibitve laws against workers, and allows corporations to take advantage of these draconian and anti-free speech and association laws. These laws were put in place to cripple affirmative action by empolyees to defend thier rights, and though putin place by Howard, Rudd seems happy to take advantage of them.
In refusing the rights of Boeing workers and persecuting those who seek to defend them, Boeing and the Rudd Federal Government are transgressing a fundamental human right: “Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of their interests” - Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Boeing have a record of disagreements with their workforce and are almost always involved in minor disputes overseas. In 1989 US Boeing machinists went on strike over a lack of pay rises for six years. “The workers - many of whom welcomed the strike as a respite from exhausting amounts of mandatory overtime - stayed out for 48 days” (CorpWatch).
“The Boeing Corporation is best known to the general public for its line of civilian aircraft, the most famous being the Boeing 747. Weapons sales of $27bn comprise more than half of company revenue, making Boeing the second largest defence manufacturer in the world [1]. Military products include the C-17 Globemaster Transport, F-15 Fighter, AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter, MH-47 Chinook Helicopter and the Hellfire Missile. The company is the main contractor for the Star Wars missile system” (Sourcewatch).
more info: www.unionsolidarity.org
Categories: social justice | Tags: union | No Comments
