About: Union Solidarity

Union Solidarity aims to build a mass based united front campaign on the ground to defeat the repressive IR laws. Union Solidarity is a wide network of affiliated community and welfare organisations and unions with the single aim of building a broad people’s movement to beat back attacks on workers, unions and communities.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

May Day Benefit Gig

Union Solidarity's Major Fundraiser: May 1, 4pm MUA OFFICE, 46 Ireland St, West Melbourne. Also 2006 is community radio station 3CR's 30th anniversary, come and celebrate with us. Live cross on the night. Drinks at the bar, live music, food provided. Tickets are $20 waged/$10 unwaged. More info: Dave Kerin 0412 484 094 | download posters and flyers

Monday, April 24, 2006

Stop the sacking of Robert Austin

Left wing lecturer and long time union activist Dr Robert Austin will be sacked from his permanent job on the 24th of April. He was given notice of dismissal in October 2005 for failing to 'fit' his new work environment in International and Community Studies (RMIT Melbourne). Management’s actions seem in large part motivated by an article in the Herald Sun criticising Robert Austin for re-scheduling a class to allow students to attend a student union rally. Robert Austin has always fought for other people, he was sacked for standing up for what he believed in and fighting for the rights of others, he now needs your support. Pass a motion supporting Robert Austin, then email to: office@vic.nteu.org.au Send an online protest to RMIT: Online Protest Letter Stay tuned for further actions and updates more info: Brief background | Defend Robert Austin Website Labels: Community Protest, Robert Austin

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Sacked for answering back

Three AMWU members at an engineering shop in Heidelberg (Melbourne) were sacked for answering back. There has been a long struggle to get the union onto the site. The boss now has used Howard's IR laws to get rid of three "trouble makers". An action is planned to protest the sackings. Friday 21 April Finlay Engineering 617 Waterdale Road Heidelberg West note the exact time is yet to be announced. more info: Chris Spindler AMWU 0425 784 819 backgrond: Workers Online | John Fain interview with Finlay boss | Sunday Times article | The Age article update: [May 2] Community assembly to save 3 AMWU members jobs | [May 3] Direct Actions gets workers job back Labels: Community Assemblies, Finlay

Friday, April 14, 2006

Clean Start - Fair Deal for Cleaners

The Australian and New Zealand part of a worldwide campaign. We have launch meetings happening in cities all over Australia and New Zealand, and support events happening elsewhere on April 20th - so come along to the meeting closest to you and be a part of it. Melbourne 1pm St Francis Church 326 Lonsdale St, City. other cities... This is a significant campaign and one that aims to have a real impact on the lives of low paid, predominantly women, workers and the lives of their families. We need your help and your feedback, and the support of the community as a whole to ensure our campaign is a success. more info: LHMU clean start campaign | LHMU membership form for cleaners

Manufacturing jobs lost in the northern suburbs

Over the past 3 years over 16,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Victoria with more than 58 companies closing down. Even before negotiations have concluded between Australia and China over a free trade agreement. Australian companies are already dumping hundreds of jobs in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne alone. This list in the northern suburbs so far is: 650 Kodak , 500 Autoliv, 40 Kozmo Industries, 80 Webco, 150 Decco, 151 Kraft- Biscuits, 50 Meritor (part of Home Leather) The Northern Community & Union Solidarity will continue to provide a strong leadership role with other community groups in the ongoing mass campaigns to involve even wider sections of workers to defend workers' rights and our standard of living. more: Broady Family Day & March for Your Rights and Future

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Community Assembly to protest unjust sackings

A short action is planned to protest the sacking of 70 workers under the new IR laws. 4pm Thurs 13 April National Springs 19 Glenbarry Rd Campbellfield All supporters in the area are urged to attend. more info: Tony Mav AMWU 0421 495 776 Labels: Community Assemblies

Meeting to discuss future of Camp Sovereignty

A meeting of supporters is planned today at Camp Sovereignity to discuss it's future. Camp Sovereignty Kings Domain City Get their by 2pm The meeting takes place under pressure from a city council eviction notice extended to 2pm today (thurs 13 April) that the camp should be dismantled and a vicious racist campaign attacking the camp in Melbourne's major daily, the Herald Sun. A spokesperson for the camp however has indicated that they will yet again ignore the eviction deadline.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Community Assembly at Optus Centre

Optus has sacked 70 field technicians and an action has been planned by the CEPU for tommorrow (Wednesday) at noon. Wednesday 12 noon Optus Centre 367 Collins St City. The workers at Optus say they have been sacked and invited to re-apply for their jobs on lower pay. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says the workers have been told they can re-apply for positions as independent contractors...more All supporters in the area are encouraged to attend. More info: ACTU news site | 0412 484 094 | CEPU Vic

French celebrate job law backdown

Students and trade unions in France have welcomed as a major victory the scrapping of a controversial youth employment law. The laws have caused weeks of unrest in France, where widespread demonstrations [and a general strike] have attracted thousands of protesters. The "easy hire, easy fire" CPE would have allowed firms to sack workers under 26 without giving a reason during a two-year trial period. The head of the French Student Confederation, Julie Coudry, says the Government's backdown is a direct response to the demonstrations. "We've been leading a protest for two-and-a-half months on the question of young people's access to employment," she said. source Reuters So can Howard's IR laws be beaten if Unions and the wider community fight together? Look to France!

Camp Sovereignty rejects eviction notice

Camp Sovereignty today announced (Mon 10 April) that they were planing on defying the Melbourne City Council Notice of eviction. "The Camp was established as a site operating under Aboriginal Sovereign Traditional Law. We recognise this law as having supreme jurisdictional authority over this land. Until the Melbourne City Council can prove they have consent from Aboriginal people to have jurisdiction over this land, we will continue to operate this site under our law; the superior, spiritual law, the law of this land" said Camp Sovereignty spokesperson Robbie Thorpe today...more The 4pm deadline came and past with signals from the Melbourne City Council they were not going to evict, 200-300 supporters showing up and a last minute legal injuntion challenging the eviction notice. However the situation is still unclear after the Council refused to meet with camp representatives.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Camp Sovereignty issued with a 24-hour eviction notice

The Black GST is calling all supporters to rally at the camp on Monday 10th April at 4pm. A press conference will also be held at 11am at the camp. Show your support to help ensure the sacred fire and Camp Sovereignty are not removed. Union Solidarity urges all supports to attend, please distribute this message widely. more info: 0412 484 094 | Council set to evict | Indymedia | Black G.S.T Location: Camp Sovereignty, Kings Domain (off St Kilda Road, behind Myer Music Bowl–look out for flags and tents).

Friday, April 07, 2006

Council set to evict Camp Sovereignty

Union Solidarity is concerned by news that the Melbourne City Council are planning on evicting the Aboriginal people currently camped in Kings Domain (Melbourne). Supporters of the camp have spectulated that eviction could occur over the weekend. Reports are that the police visited the Sovereignty camp this morning (Friday 7 April) warning that they will return with legal papers to close the camp down. Indigenous activists have kept the camp going since the end of the Commonwealth Games. It has been called Camp Sovereignty and has become a meeting place for both indigenous and non-indigenous people since a sacred fire was lit there last month. Rightwing commentators in the local media have been campaigning during the week for the camp's removal. Union Solidarity supporters are urged to stay in touch, visit the camp and keep informed about the situation. Useful sites: Indymedia | Black G.S.T

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Stop the sacking of Robert Austin at RMIT

Dr. Robert Austin, academic and long-time union activist, was dismissed in October 2005 for failing to 'fit' his new work environment in International and Community Studies. Dr Austin has never been provided with the alleged documentation on which management claimed to have based his dismissal, nor the opportunity to respond. The notice of dismissal took place after Andrew Bolt in the Herald Sun (August 2005) attacked Dr Austin for rescheduling classes so that students could attend a protest against the government’s “voluntary student unionism” (VSU) legislation, this was in line with NTEU policy. The dispute is about to go before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The NTEU is advising the barrister. Termination will take effect on 24 April. Robert Austin suppporters are organising a Solidarity Fiesta on April 15 at the Comrades Bar and have set up a fighting fund. Download: Leaflets for Solidarity Fiesta Union Solidarity has endorsed the fundraiser and urges all our supporters to attend. More info: Solidarity Fiesta | Defend Robert Austin Website | Online Protest Letter to RMIT | Brief background Labels: Community Protest, Robert Austin

March 29 Victorian Delegates Meeting

Victorian union delegates and shop stewards rallied in Melbourne on Wednesday 29 March to plan the next steps in the fight against the Howard Government’s IR laws. Over 4,000 unionists attended a VTHC delegates and shop stewards’ rally at Dallas Brooks Hall to ratify a resolution that condemned Howard’s IR laws and called for a mass mobilisation of Victorian workers at the next national day of protest set down for June 28. After the meeting union leaders led a march through the city to Australia Post to show solidarity with union delegate, Peter Vining, from the CEPU-Postal Division who has been the target of workplace intimidation. The rally then brought parts of central Melbourne to a standstill as they marched to Liberal Party headquarters in Exhibition St where union leaders burned a copy of the new Federal IR Bill. ACTU President, Sharan Burrow, promised to “light a fire in the emotions of everyone all around the country. This is no a fight about a decent Australia.” more | copy of resolution passed at meeting. Labels: Community Protest, IR Laws, Peter Vining

ACTU launch's Rights Watch site

Look out for one another and report injustice in the workplace - whether it's unfair dismissal, bullying and intimidation, or people losing wages and conditions due to AWA individual contracts. The Howard Government must be held to account for the human cost of the laws. And employers who attempt to take advantage of the new laws must not be allowed to sneak under the radar. Expose injustice in the workplace on our Rights Watch site. Just fill in the form online and your comment will be posted anonymously. If a family member, friend or colleague is in trouble due to the new laws, they can call the ACTU's Union Helpline on 1300 362 223 for free confidential advice. Together, we will fight for our rights at work. Many thanks, Sharan Burrow, Greg Combet & The Rights at Work Campaign team.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Geelong Meeting

Geelong Union Solidarity Group Meeting Geelong Trades Hall 7pm Tue May 9 (note the new time and date) There will be two speakers at the meeting Joan Doyle from the C.E.P.U (Postal Workers Section) & a speaker from the Melbourne Union Solidarity Group. Public welcome. come and find out about the how the group works and can assist you with the new laws. more info: J Cameron 0414 289 584 | 5248 1714 P.O Box 9064, St Albans Park 3219

Workers and Communities Solidarity Picnic

Sunday, 2 April 1.00 pm Yarraville GardensCorner Hyde St. and Somerville Rd Footscray. Melway 42C8. more info: 0417 456 001 | 0417 896 297 westerncommunityunions@gmail.com