Comments on: Workplace Democracy and Democratic Unions http://chriswhiteonline.org/2009/03/workplace-democracy-and-democratic-unions/ Blogging from a life-long unionist Mon, 21 May 2012 06:27:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex White http://chriswhiteonline.org/2009/03/workplace-democracy-and-democratic-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-443 Alex White Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:17:57 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=1148#comment-443 I think it's more important than ever that unions embrace a vigourous organising model, if they're to survive the GFC and help their members. I think it’s more important than ever that unions embrace a vigourous organising model, if they’re to survive the GFC and help their members.

]]> By: Rob Durbridge http://chriswhiteonline.org/2009/03/workplace-democracy-and-democratic-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-423 Rob Durbridge Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:57:17 +0000 http://chriswhiteonline.org/?p=1148#comment-423 One dimension of the crisis which will prove critical to union rebuilding is the way unemployed workers are regarded and assisted by the union movement. Thus far the Rudd Government has maintained the punitive measure of the Coalition and the union agenda has neglected to take it up. The ACTU did not cover this in its Executive decision on Job and Income Security in December but did include a "new form of social insurance" and dole-pension parity in March. Moves for employment security measures beginning with firms receiving government assistance, short-time working with training add-ons for down days, removal of punitive delays and requirements to chase jobs around the country which don't exist and simply not excluding the unemployed from "stimulus" payments would be a start. The labour movement needs to get over competitive unionism and union corporate interests and to think as a class. That was decisive in rebuilding in the 1930s when the Unemployed Workers Movement laid the basis for new left leaderships in a range of unions. Failure to do so now would invite the Right into the vacuum where "working families" who are not working through no fault of their own become desperate though homelessness and poverty. One dimension of the crisis which will prove critical to union rebuilding is the way unemployed workers are regarded and assisted by the union movement. Thus far the Rudd Government has maintained the punitive measure of the Coalition and the union agenda has neglected to take it up. The ACTU did not cover this in its Executive decision on Job and Income Security in December but did include a “new form of social insurance” and dole-pension parity in March.

Moves for employment security measures beginning with firms receiving government assistance, short-time working with training add-ons for down days, removal of punitive delays and requirements to chase jobs around the country which don’t exist and simply not excluding the unemployed from “stimulus” payments would be a start.

The labour movement needs to get over competitive unionism and union corporate interests and to think as a class. That was decisive in rebuilding in the 1930s when the Unemployed Workers Movement laid the basis for new left leaderships in a range of unions. Failure to do so now would invite the Right into the vacuum where “working families” who are not working through no fault of their own become desperate though homelessness and poverty.

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