Huge protests in Australia against Government's industrial relations reforms

in

300 demonstrations took place in Australia against the proposed industrial relations reforms today. 200,000 took the streets in Melbourne [ Photos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]. Another big demonstration took place in Sydney where 45,000 people protested. In Perth thousands of people rallied as part of the Australian wide day of community action. The M4 motorway was also blocked off in New South Wales for nearly an hour, by transport workers and police.

Solidarity demonstrations in Aotearoa took place in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Over 200 people rallied at the Australian High Commission in a show of solidarity with Australian Workers [ Report 1 + Photos ] [Report 2 ] [Report 3 ]. 200 people came to a protest in Auckland.

The Howard government’s IR changes and anti-terrorist legislation are closely linked and are in keeping with the political behaviour of Australian conservatism in government. The new Sedition Laws suggest that industrial disputes or industrial matters may be labelled seditious, where there is an absence of "good faith". The reforms further push Australian Workplace Agreements, with the right to strike effectively being lost, while employer use of lockouts is encouraged.

More news here:
Wikinews
ACTU

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Related

http://oceania.indymedia.org

Comments

Re: November 15 - Protest Howard's Attack on Australian Workers

And apparently in Christchurch:
12:15 - 12:45, outside Christchurch Public Hospital (on the junction of Riccarton Ave and Hagley Ave)

Re: November 15 - Protest Howard's Attack on Australian Workers

Can't make it as I have a Pilates lesson. All the best with the struggle.

Melbourne: NZ bank workers solidarity banner

Congratulations comrades - we will do the same here with our new "grand coalition" of neoliberals.
Hoch die internationale Solidaritaet!

GLW covers of last 2 months

Solidarity forever ...
Solidarity forever ...

Was in Melbourne for Demo

A very good show of opposition to the reforms here in Melbourne yesterday. Apparentely crowds had started accumulating at 7am (planned start was at 9) and by 9 it was impossible to see where the crowd began and ended. The crowd continued to grow during the hour of televised bureaucratic speeches, and once the march started at 10, some good chants got going. These included classics such as "the workers united will never be defeated" and others targeted at the laws and the Liberals in general. Let's hope this is only the beginning of a much larger struggle..

Re: Huge protests in Australia against Government's industrial r

I am a first nations person to australia,and our old told us that when this system comes into play to be able to walk away from it as the these peolpe wrote the laws for the system we do not have a chance of winning through the system that they wrote the laws for and that they only have control over our lives as long as we have to stay apart of the system.but if walk away from being apart of it then they no longer have that control over us.so soon they can have this evil system that controls and dominates the world
through money.IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO CAN WALK AWAY FROM THE NEED TO HAVE MONEY TO SURVIVE.
we know that creator and mother earth through nature will provide for us like it has always done from time immemorial.but people need faith to do that.i guess we are lucky that we have never lost faith.eh i wish you all well in your struggles.
susan charles rankin
descendant of the seven sisters
jaara woman from the dja dja wurrung langauge group of the kulin nation melbourne vic.
and great great great great grandaughter of truganini.