MIGRANT WATCH
Migrante Joins Melbourne Rally vs Anti-Labor Laws
Members
of Migrante Melbourne joined the tens of thousands of workers in the
National Day of Action protest against the Howard Government’s Industrial
Relations (IR) laws at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Nov. 30.
The
challenge on the day of the rally is to fill the “G” (people’s ground) and
become part of history against John Howard’s “draconian” IR laws.
BY REYVI
MARIÑAS
Contributed to Bulatlat
Members of Migrante Melbourne
joined the tens of thousands of workers in the National Day of Action
protest against the Howard Government’s Industrial Relations (IR) laws at
the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on November 30.
AGAINST HOWARD’S IR LAWS: Migrante-Melbourne
members during the Nov. 30 protest |
The challenge on the day of the rally is to fill the “G” (people’s ground)
and become part of history against John Howard’s “draconian” IR laws.
Workers and union members assembled at the MCG at around 7 a.m. and
marched toward the city area at the Federation Square after the program.
Speaking at the MCG rally, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
president
Sharan Burrow gave an opening
remark and highlighted
some of the “unfair” aspects
of the new laws including the loss of protection from being sacked
unfairly for millions of workers.
|
Kim
Beazley, a leader of the oppositionist Federal Australian Labor Party,
addressed the national
protest and received a rousing cheer from the crowd when he promised that
a future Labor Government would tear up the IR laws.
Victoria
Premier Steve Bracks also addressed the Melbourne rally, emphasizing that
the new laws are putting further pressure on ordinary working families.
Various
rallies were also held across Australia and attracted
more than 264,000 people
(with Perth and other Western Australia rally attendances yet to be
included).
In
Melbourne alone, about a 60,000-strong crowd attended the rally
considering that a signal
failure had disrupted three railway lines on the day of the protest and
many workers feared they could be sacked for
attending.
Migrante believes
that IR laws are unjust to workers’ rights and conditions. The “unfair
dismissal,” lower wages and lost of entitlements affect the lives and
future of ordinary families.
Migrante
continues to call the support of all Filipino workers and migrants in
Australia to oppose and fight against the implemented IR laws. Bulatlat
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