Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 11:00:01 +1000 (EST)
From: kenhow-AT-werple.net.au (Ken Howard)
Subject: workers storm australian parliament


On Monday 19th August over 30,000 workers held a demonstration and raly at
the national capital, Canberra.The rally had been organised by the ACTU
(peak trade union body) and involved thousands of workers travelling from
Melbourne ( 9 hours drive) and Sydney (5 hours drive) and other places to
Canberra.The official rally was dominated by the labour party who lost the
election in march, as a tactic to put pressure upon the Democrats and
independants in the senate to not pass the industrial relations legislation
and elements of the budget which is to be brought down today. The liberals
ir legislation introduces individual contracts and destroys unionism
amongst it many odious provisions. The budget is set to slash and burn
education, health, housing, aboriginal services,as well as all other then
business expenditure. It will make Thatcher look progressive.

The anger is widespread and deep, as well as the distrust of the labour
party and union bureacracy and at the demo in canberra several thousand
workers engaged in battle with the cops to gain entry to the parliament
which they had locked up. They suceeded in breaking down the door and
getting in.

Many people are frustrated by the union bureacracy attempting to channel
the campaign into electoral support for the labour party, which is
popularly seen as no better then the liberals. In all the areas where the
liberals are slashing and burning the bloody handprint of the previous
labour government is there. What is now possible is a mass campaign outside
the control of the bureacrats. The nature of the class struggle is changing
as capital ups the anti using repressive force as well as legislation. In
melbourne cops baton charged a picket line at ACI Glass using horses and
batoning picketers heads, which has not been seen in australia for a long
time.

The direct action in Canberra is hopefully only the start as after today,s
budget the lesson of if you don't fight you loose becomes clearer and
plainer to all.




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