http://chriswhiteonline.org/2008/09/forward-with-fairness-initial-comment-on-julia-gillards-speech/ Blogging from a life-long unionist Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:41:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://chriswhiteonline.org/2008/09/forward-with-fairness-initial-comment-on-julia-gillards-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Alex White Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:06:08 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=174#comment-30 Paul - what is the alternative to Labor? The Greens are no workers' party. Paul – what is the alternative to Labor? The Greens are no workers’ party.

]]> http://chriswhiteonline.org/2008/09/forward-with-fairness-initial-comment-on-julia-gillards-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Paul Palmer Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:06:24 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=174#comment-24 Look the only answer is to find good labour minded candidates to run against the krud of the labour party. Lets kick pout these dregs of corporate sleaze like gilliard and the rest. Look the only answer is to find good labour minded candidates to run against the krud of the labour party. Lets kick pout these dregs of corporate sleaze like gilliard and the rest.

]]> http://chriswhiteonline.org/2008/09/forward-with-fairness-initial-comment-on-julia-gillards-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-20 chriswhite Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:22:17 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=174#comment-20 I agree. These are important questions to debate. I agree. These are important questions to debate.

]]> http://chriswhiteonline.org/2008/09/forward-with-fairness-initial-comment-on-julia-gillards-speech/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Don Sutherland Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:00:49 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=174#comment-18 A very quick comment at this stage. In important ways the problems faced now in dealing with Gillard's attempt to pre-empt effective union intervention into the law making process by unions and community support networks, especially YR@W, started in the Forward with Fairness Implementation statement made in the lead up to the election campaign. This statement was a compromise in part on the original Forward with Fairness Policy adopted earlier 2007. The compromise was made because 1)of very effective and power based lobbying by the mining companies and the AIG during that period that rattled the ALP strategists, Rudd and Gillard in particular, and 2) the dominant mentality - including in the left - that said that the lead up to an election was not the time to fight Howard separately. This latter judgement may have been finessed in better ways at the time but it was not, and lead to the Implementation document that was in effect an agreed position that defined the terrain for the election struggle around labour law. Right now, the critical terrain is how we fight over Gillard's retreats from the Implementation document. There are very important issues at stake in that retreat. The next critical question is this: is lobbying over the "retreat issues" (especially the ambit of bargaining rights) and tv / radio ads as is currently being pursued by the ACTU and union leaderships adequate? Is it not "lobbying without power"? What sort of power can be mobilised that will "rattle" Rudd and Gillard in the way the employer organisations were able to do, just over a year ago? A very quick comment at this stage. In important ways the problems faced now in dealing with Gillard’s attempt to pre-empt effective union intervention into the law making process by unions and community support networks, especially YR@W, started in the Forward with Fairness Implementation statement made in the lead up to the election campaign. This statement was a compromise in part on the original Forward with Fairness Policy adopted earlier 2007. The compromise was made because 1)of very effective and power based lobbying by the mining companies and the AIG during that period that rattled the ALP strategists, Rudd and Gillard in particular, and 2) the dominant mentality – including in the left – that said that the lead up to an election was not the time to fight Howard separately. This latter judgement may have been finessed in better ways at the time but it was not, and lead to the Implementation document that was in effect an agreed position that defined the terrain for the election struggle around labour law. Right now, the critical terrain is how we fight over Gillard’s retreats from the Implementation document. There are very important issues at stake in that retreat. The next critical question is this: is lobbying over the “retreat issues” (especially the ambit of bargaining rights) and tv / radio ads as is currently being pursued by the ACTU and union leaderships adequate? Is it not “lobbying without power”? What sort of power can be mobilised that will “rattle” Rudd and Gillard in the way the employer organisations were able to do, just over a year ago?

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