Albanese showed his true colours by paraphrasing the notorious anti-worker Maggie Thatcher, saying “This government is not for turning”.  Even before he had made his remark, workers were making placards reading “Thatcher would be proud”.

 

In Brisbane, at least 10,000 building workers and others filled out the Queens Gardens and surrounding streets. There were speakers from CFMEU leadership, CFMEU "youth crew", ETU and others.  It was a very militant atmosphere, according to comrades who sent a report to us. Workers also walked off the job in Cairns.

 

In Adelaide, probably 1,000 people rallied at Parliament House steps. The important thing though was that CFMEU members on all CBD sites walked off and marched to the steps of Parliament House. The mood was one of anger, but determination to stay strong together. Speakers included CFMEU reps, John Adley the ETU Secretary, an MUA rep and Jamie Newlyn, Assistant National Secretary of the MUA. Connie Bonaros, a member of the State’s Upper House, pledged her support for the union and its members.  

 

 

There were Organizers there from AMWU and UWU and several industrial lawyers, but many unions had no official executive officer presence at the rally. SA Unions was not present,

 

They followed the ACTU Executive resolution, moved by the right-wing Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Union (SDA), which supports the appointment of the Administrator by the Government via the Fair Work Commission.

 

These unions are tied to the ALP being in government in Canberra so more concerned about keeping the money flowing to the ALP election campaign than the attack on the working class and all unions.

 

 

In Melbourne, between 50,000 and 60,000 construction workers and other building industry unionists (ETU, AMWU, Plumbers) downed tools and walked off their jobs to take unprotected illegal action to defend the CFMEU and all unions. It was the biggest and most militant mobilization of workers since the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) waterfront dispute in 1998 and the 2007 Your Rights at Work Worth Fighting For.

 

Once again, a vicious pre-planned attack by the bosses, supported by their Labor government and their courts conspired to cripple and destroy a militant union. The Labor Party parliamentarians and their mates in the ACTU colluded with the big end of town in slandering and vilifying decent hard-working construction workers and their elected union delegates.

 

Congratulations Albo and the Labor government! You have re-injected class politics and struggle into the union movement and brought about the biggest national mobilisation of the working class this century! At a time when cost of living pressure bites, housing becomes unaffordable, there are shortages in hospitals, schools, and social services are cut to the bone, Albo and the government can find hundreds and billions of people’s taxes on US nuclear powered submarine and expand US military bases across Australia for the next US-led war. Why are we not surprised? The Labor Party is only there to mislead and divide the working class, keep workers passive, and sell us out to US imperialism and its corporate monopolies. The ALP is showing its true despicable colours in looking after big business.

 

As Mao would say "Lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet".

 

Workers are not mugs, not to be taken for granted. They know a scab act and how to deal with it. CFMEU workers know how to fight, they know what solidarity means. That’s how they protect and improve their wages and conditions in the face of greedy developers and shifty lawyers. 

 

 

Leading the march in Melbourne was a large and very vocal contingent of CFMEU Women, proudly waving their union flags. Along with many CFMEU flags were the flags of other unions and a few Eureka flags as well. The city was paralyzed, streets clogged with agitated workers, a sea of orange and yellow safety jackets. At the start and end of the march, powerful speeches by delegates, former officials, members of other friendly unions, from veteran BLF comrades, all were greeted with cheers and chanting: “CFMEU-here to stay!”

 

This is just the start, the opening salvo. 

 

• 60,000 workers marched from the Victorian Trades Hall to Fair Work Commission which one of the speakers called the “bosses courts”.

• A retired CFMEU official told the rally construction worker’ victories for wages and conditions, for union rights, have been won more often than not through illegal collective action of mobilized construction workers and their supporters.

• Speaker after speaker pledged to continue the fight to defend the CFMEU and all unions and received rousing approval.

 

There is Power in the mobilized and united working class. Dare to Struggle, Dare to WIN!

 

In Sydney, nearly than 10,000 applauded sacked CFMEU NSW state secretary Darren Greenfield when he attacked Australian Council of Trade Unions leader Sally McManus for selling the union out to the Labor Party.  

 

A Party leaflet distributed at the Adelaide rally described the government-appointed Administrator, Mark Irving, as a union lawyer turned union destroyer.

 

It said: “The ALP, which has always been a party of capitalism, has cleverly utilized people with ties to unions as its CFMEU “administrators”. It is helping to divide union responses to the attack on the CFMEU by covering them with a veneer of union complicity.

 

“Chief administrator, Mark Irving KC, worked for many unions. The union lawyer is now a union destroyer. He is joined in his attacks on the CFMEU by Grahame McCulloch as its Victorian administrator. He was once head of the union covering university academics.”

 

 

Further reports of rallies around the country may come in to us, and will be posted as they arrive.