Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 15:14:14 +1000
From: g.maclennan-AT-qut.edu.au
Subject: Re: Update on the class struggle in Australia




On Mon, 20 Nov 1995, David McInerney wrote:

> One has to wonder about Jenny George's public announcement of her husband
> being a former member of the Communists when she brings in that *flunkey*
> (to use a well-worn Maoist term, or perhaps "toady" - one of Paul Keating's
> - is maore appropriate) Bob Hawke to fight for the workers!!!  Together
> with her "appeal to women", isn't this all just an attempt by the ACTU to
> keep all bases covered in a time of waning legitimacy of the rightist ALP
> (and its ACTU cronies)??  That said, recent developments do indicate a
> rising class anatgonism in Australia and, at last, a weakening of the
> nationalist ideology of the 'national interest' amongst the labour
> movement.
> 
I will reply to David's other points about political organisation later. 
But I would like to take up the point of Jenny George bringing in 
Hawke.  This was a signal that they were not too radical and the union 
bureaucrats seem to need to do that ever since the Cold War started.  The 
idea of Kelty being thought radical is laughable, but still he feels the 
need to reassure everyone he is not. But 
it also said soemthing about nostaligia for the days of the Hawke who 
came thorugh the Trade Union bureaucracy by contrast with Keating who 
came through the party machine. Truly fucked in political terms I agree 
but also I suspect very popular with the blue collar workers.

What interests me about this whole dispute has been the readiness of the 
class to answer the call from the bureacurcy.  We were that close to a 
general strike!  A very smart commentator Brian Toohey said on the radio 
this morning that the resposne of  the workers had scared everyone 
including the union leadership.  I would say *especially* the union leaders.

There is enormous discontent among the workers and it seems that they 
have not lost their combativity.  The vital ingredient of political 
leadership is of course missing. Sigh!!

I was interested Marcus' reports of Hawke's speech and the 
latter's reference to 
the Deakenite class settlement.  That of course was the age of certainty 
for Australian workers.  In a recent issue of the Guardian, Will Hutton, 
has lamented the passing of certainty for workers and has pointed out 
the downside for capitalism of making the works insecure and nervous about 
the future.  
Investment in infra strcutrue gets neglected and demand is hard to predict.

However I disagree with his prediction that the "pendulum will swing back" 
to workers' rights.  There is of course no pendulum, only unremitting 
struggle.


Regards

Gary


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