WORKERS AT BAIADA STAY STRONG TOGETHER ON PICKET LINE
Fantastic community mobilisation at Baiada Sunday ACTU President Ged Kearney spoke at the rally and praised the fighting spirit of the workers. We need more members of the community to support them on the picket line!
So think about at least one day this week you can give over to camping out to hold the line. Or try to visit the picket after work each day, if you can’t sleep out. Need some inspiration? Watch this Lateline report from last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS7XfOW469k
Earlier…Workers stick together on night 2 of strike for secure jobs and respect at work. From the NUW
Members at Baiada in Laverton strike for jobs they can count on
The first night of action saw no live birds or workers go into the factory from 6pm on Wednesday 9 November.
Currently NUW members and officials are still outside the two gates into Baiada’s poultry processing plant in Laverton.
Community supporters have also joined the numbers when they heard that members are workers are campaigning for secure and permanent jobs and the right for all workers to be able to plan their future and have protections at work that have been fought and won be unionists over many years.
Read the full story here
Then…
Workers hold off riot police attack…
Read here
Green Left report here
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49435
Direct action ensuring an effective picket and the right to strike despite the judges and law declaring the picket unlawful.
On changes to the Fair Work Act, a union picket as part of protected action ought to be legal.
Such a weakness in the Fair Work Act from WorkChoices and judges has to be changed by Parliament so it is fair to workers,
like these in poultry factories.
When workers and their unions are taking protected action then that the picket is I argue to be protected in law .
Another important reform, otherwise there is no right to strike, is that employers under the Fair Work Act ought not to have the right to bring in replacement labour, scabs.
Instead parties are in compulsory negotiations.
The workers only weapon is used in bargaining to achieve settlement over demands and a return to work.
Otherwise the lawful strike is defeated by the employer and the labour control law making injunctions against union leaders and ordering the strike terminated.
The right to strike in a collective bargaining system has to be effective.
See my earlier blogs on picketing and
book review of Joe Burns ‘Reviving the Strike’.
Support better jobs 4 better chicken
http://betterjobs.good.do/better-jobs-4-better-chicken/support-the-baiada-poultry-workers/
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