At the AWU biennial national conference held in Brisbane on 2-5 February 2009, some 300 delegates consolidated the union’s unity and rallied behind its new, youngest ever general secretary, Paul Howes and the incumbent National President, Bill Ludwig in readiness to face the future.
A central focus of the conference was on the union’s response to the policy proposal of the ruling Australian Labor Party (ALP) on climate change. Leading the debate, General Secretary Howes called on the Federal government to implement an Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) that is measured and balanced. In response conference resolved, “the AWU members on the front line of the ETS should have a direct stake in the new system through a carbon insurance scheme which would see allocated permits flow to workers in the event of loss and leakage of jobs as a consequence of the ETS.”
Concerning the global financial crisis, President Bill Ludwig pointed out that this economic crisis is “not our fault. As workers we are not to be blamed…and do not expect us to pay for it.” Lay-offs, wage cuts or reduced working hours without compensation are unacceptable ways to deal with the crisis.
Kim Beazley, former leader of the Australian Labour Party, said it is the precisely at the present time when unions are clearly required and unions have the opportunity to organise now there is a government which is not openly hostile to the role of trade unions in society.
The AWU has strengthened its alliances within Australia and internationally.
The AWU threw its support behind the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to press the government to abolish the unjust Australian Building and Construction Commission. The Commission was created by the previous right-wing anti-union government and designed almost specifically for the persecution of trade unionists in the construction and building industry, where the CFMEU retains a large membership.
Paddy Crumlin, general secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) was invited to address the conference. He talked about having set aside past differences with AWU and going forward together. He said that the opponents of trade unions were organised globally and that unions need to confront them globally as well. MUA is one of the oldest affiliates of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) from the region.
In response to the Crumlin, General Secretary Paul Howes talked about the need for AWU to take global unionism seriously as global unions are needed to tackle global companies. The global union federations need to be properly supported to become more effective. He mentioned that the AWU has benefited from international support in the past.
ACTU general secretary Jeff Lawrence told conference delegates that the national centre rejects the employers’ suggestion that ACTU should reverse the gains of unions. The global financial crisis has confirmed that “unfair markets do not work.” The same goes for unfair labour markets and unfair industrial relations laws.
In one of the most important statement made at the conference, President Bill Ludwig, commenting on the relationship between Australian unions and the Labor Party (ALP), said: “after the defeat at the 2004 general election, unions were not happy with the performance of the ALP. Unions told the ALP that they decided they will be out there leading the debate and if the ALP, now the ruling party, needs dragging along, we will drag them along. We will still continue to be out there engaging in and leading the debate.” This is what is meant by being independent of the party rather than being a subordinate organ of the party.
Despite the economic gloom, the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Secretary, in conveying greetings and solidarity from the IUF, noted that he found the AWU conference to be full of life, vigour, hope, fresh ideas, confidence and optimism.
Without underestimating the difficulties ahead, he said that this historic moment offers great opportunities for the labour movement to reshape the environment for organising in the future.
The AWU and the IUF can and should co-operate to support the emergence and the strengthening of independent trade union movement in the Asia/Pacific region, which are the key to building build fair societies throughout the region.
Other invited guests were: Gerald Fernandez representing the United Steel Workers (USA); Owen Herrnstadt representing the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers (USA); Paul Thompson, representing the Engineering, Printing, Manufacturing Union (New Zealand) and Rob Johnston from the International Metal Workers Federation (IMF).
0 Responses to “AWU plans for growth and strength to protect members in years ahead”