En Passant

CFMEU building union Canberra organiser Johnny Lomax has been arrested. His crime? Negotiating and securing improvements in working conditions and wages for union members. This is a direct attack from the Abbott Government on our ability to protect our wages and our safety at work. We will be gathering outside the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday at 8.40 am to cheer Johnny on in solidarity as he enters to face these malicious and outrageous charges. See you there. If you are in Canberra or nearby come along to support a union which actually fights for its members and help stop this blatant attack on unions and their ability to organise.

Can unemployed workers and others being conscripted into the green army organise and fight back against this rotten exploitation? Absolutely. Will they? Well, since they aren’t covered by industrial laws, withholding their labour won’t be illegal.
If there were a lead from the ACTU and other unions, perhaps they would take action, supported by other workers industrially and financially. If not, then the downward spiral of wages is likely to accelerate under the impact of Tony Abbott’s slave wage green army.

Yesterday a worker from one of Samsung’s semiconductor plants in South Korea was found dead at 5am. It appears that he was subject to months of adverse action and management cut his pay because he was in the union. It is suspected that he committed suicide due to management bullying.

Is there a way to beat O’Farrell’s attacks on union rights and living standards?

Yes. Bring Tahrir Square to Sydney, and in the words of Egyptian blogger and socialist Hossam el-Hamalawy then take ‘Tahrir to the factories, the universities, the workplaces.’

Organise, organise, organise to stop the ruling class lackeys in charge of the ATO smashing unions in the workplace.