Opposing Austerity - organising and action strategies

'UK trade unions have not developed adequate strategies to challenge the acceleration of neoliberal transformation of public services through outsourcing, private finance and privatisation,' writes Dexter Whitfield in a briefing for The Australian Workplace Innovation and Research Centre (WISeR). In a wide ranging analysis of both trade union and political responses to austerity in Europe and North America since 2008, Whitfield concludes that the labour movement has been found wanting and calls for the development of more participative democratic forms of decision making: 'Traditional industrial action, such as one-day strikes and large national demonstrations had an important role in strengthening solidarity and gaining support, but did not significantly change austerity policies'
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wiser/docs/WISeR-ESSU_OpposingAusterity2014.pdf

Electricity Privatisation - A Record of Failure

A new independent report and video documentary on electricity privatisation in Victoria, Australia, addresses its economic failings and social costs. Professor John Quiggin of the University of Queensland provides detailed evidence to support the conclusion that free-market electricity reforms have been 'a spectacular failure' and there is no fiscal or economic justification to continue the sell-off:
http://www.etu.org.au/system/files/ETU%20Electricity%20Privatisation%20Report.pdf
http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.sg/2014/02/electricity-privatisation-record-of.html

Privatisation - Who benefits?

Following last September's election of a right wing federal government in Australia pressure is mounting for a large scale sell off of essential services. As in Britain in the 1970's, proponents of privatisation argue that it will bring greater productivity, efficiency and lower prices. Professor Sharon Beder writing in the Brisbane Times provides a compelling rebuttal of the case for privatisation and exposes the public services industrial complex which it has spawned: "Privatisation is promoted by a group of powerful vested interests greedy for low-risk financial investments, consultancy and legal fees, or banking business. They are aided by business-funded think tanks and economic advisers who spread the ideologically based belief that private management is superior, despite the plethora of examples contradicting this"
  Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/privatisation-provides-no-dividends-for-the-poor-20140109-30k95.html#ixzz2qM69k5fe 
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/privatisation-provides-no-dividends-for-the-poor-20140109-30k95.html

Stunning victory in New South Wales as Unions overturn political funding restrictions

Yesterday in New South Wales, Australia, the High Court upheld a union challenge to the Government's electoral donation laws. In February 2012, the O'Farrell led right wing Coalition Government amended the Electoral Funding Act, banning political donations from groups unless the donor is an individual enrolled to vote. Unions NSW launched a challenge to the laws, arguing that donations are a form of political freedom and that a ban is unconstitutional. This stunning victory gives hope to unions in Britain fighting a pincer movement to silence their collective voice – the Con Dem Lobbying Bill and the Labour Party’s Collins Review:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-18/high-court-rules-on-nsw-donation-laws/5163654
http://www.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/judgment-summaries/2013/hca58-2013-12-18.pdf

Prentis warns Labour of Australia scenario in May 2015

#TUC13 The outcome of this weekend’s general election in Australia was bad news for workers with the election of hard right conservative Tony Abbot as Prime Minister and an incoming Coalition Government with manifesto proposals to attack workplace rights. This followed sustained internecine strife in the Australian Labor Party. The Union Labour link dominated media coverage of the opening of the TUC’s annual Congress yesterday and UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis gave a timely warning to Labour’s leadership that they face a similar fate:
    "If the powers that be in the trade union movement and the Labour Party believe that having squabbles and a special conference is going to get people out there to vote Labour they are living in cloud cuckoo land. We look like a disunited party. It’s quite clear that whenever a party is divided, the people don’t vote for it. We have seen only yesterday what happened in Australia. It will happen to the Labour Party in this country if it doesn’t get its act together."
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/08/ed-miliband-union-funding-labour-unison
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24009526

Unmasking Austerity: Lessons for Australia

A new report by Dexter Whitfield documents why austerity failed and its disastrous economic and social effects in Europe and North America and highlights why Australia should not adopt these policies. Government debt continued to increase, reduced demand intensified the recession, negative or weak growth prevailed and the private sector failed to invest. The cost of lost output, reduced wealth, mass unemployment and government intervention runs into trillions in any currency. Public spending cuts and closures increased poverty and widened inequality as working people and the poor were made to pay for the failure of the banks, financial markets and wealthy elites. Austerity advocates were equally committed to embedding neoliberalism in the public sector and the welfare state and reconfiguring the role of the state:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wiser/WISeR_unmasking-austerity.pdf

Ark's Story

Australia will be holding a federal election on 7 September and opinion polls currently put the right wing Liberal-National coalition in the lead. This is an ominous prospect for trade unionists as the Tony Abbot led opposition has made clear its intentions to attack representation at work.

Public Service Union & Labour lock horns ahead of Australian General Election

Australia’s Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is extending a suspension of its election campaign support of the Labour Party in protest at the federal government's plans to cut another $1.8 billion from public services. CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said ''To secure the support of public sector workers, Labour needs strong policies that demonstrate how different they are to the Liberals when it comes to public sector jobs and services. We know Tony Abbott will cut 12,000 to 20,000 public sector jobs, but public sector workers expect something different and better from Kevin Rudd. If any other industry announced it was cutting thousands of jobs, there would be a national outcry"
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/public-sector-union-halts-support-for-alp-over-budget-cuts-20130805-2rai8.html

Cuts Hurt

Great work by the Community and Public Sector Union in Australia where a right wing Coalition Government (with policies which mirror the UK Con Dem's) looms large after the 14 September General Election, according to current polls. In the battle of ideas ahead of the election, the union has launched a Cuts Hurt campaign for public sector jobs and essential services. "We will stand up for quality public services and jobs. It is our duty on behalf of our members to take the fight to those who advocate the destruction of all that we hold dear as a union - jobs, rights and fair conditions" says union leader Nadine Flood: http://cpsu.org.au/campaigns/news/30832.html

Cuts hurt everyone

#cutshurt Australia’s Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has launched an impressive Cuts Hurt campaign to resist Government cuts to public services and alert Australians to Opposition proposals to slash and burn the public sector, including an attempt to import Big Society ideology Down Under:
http://cutshurt.com.au/cuts-hurt-everyone

Trade Union political voice silenced in New South Wales

In perhaps a harbinger of things to come in the UK, trade unions in the Australian state of New South Wales are mounting a High Court challenge to draconian new legislation which will ban unions from affiliating or donating to the Australian Labour Party (ALP). Mark Lennon of Unions NSW said: "These laws are aimed squarely at working people and their unions, but do nothing to restrain the influence of wealthy individuals"
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/ofarrell-locks-out-unions-on-campaign-funds/story-e6frgczx-1226272139270

Australian Health Services Union in crisis

The 77,000 strong Health Services Union (HSU) was suspended from the Australian council of trade unions (ACTU) yesterday as speculation mounts that an impending internal audit will find extensive irregularities. ACTU secretary, Jeff Lawrence, said the HSU needed to clean itself out, "this decision has been made to send a clear message to the national executive of the HSU that it must demonstrate it has a plan to deal with governance and financial management issues."
http://m.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/hsu-warned-to-clean-up-or-clear-out-20120405-1wfo4.html

Australian Unions silent on ALP leadership contest

A UNISONActive reader reports from Sydney on a Labour leadership contest in which affiliated unions had surprisingly little to say: Over the past week the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has resembled a soap opera. The ongoing saga of Julia Gillard v Kevin Rudd has continued and reached a level of intensity in recent weeks that culminated in Rudd resigning as Foreign Minister and Gillard calling for a ballot of the ALP (and in turn the Prime Ministership).

International Action Day for Qantas workers: 16 November 2011

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is calling on trade unionists worldwide to show solidarity with the workers and families of Australian airline Qantas. In the UK a protest will be held at the Australian High Commission at Australia House, Strand, London WC2B 4LA from 13:00 to 14:00 on Wednesday 16 November: http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/6679

Public Services in Australia - resisting the neoliberal offensive‏

The Centre for Policy Development has produced a report on Austalia's public services, which face challenges strikingly familiar to our own. Notably plans by the opposition right wing Coalition to cut public spending by $70 billion, shutting down entire government departments if they enter government at the next general election: http://cpd.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CPD_OP12_2011_State_of_APS_Whelan.pdf

Worse than WorkChoices

A UNISONActive reader in Sydney reports on the political onslaught against public service workers in Australia's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW), which bears a remarkable similarity to developments in Britain and the US.

Landmark victory for union rights in Australia‏

A UNISONActive reader in Sydney, Australia reports on yesterday's landmark legal ruling: A major victory for building and construction workers around Australia, construction union member Ark Tribe has been found not guilty by an Adelaide Court. http://www.cfmeu.asn.au/news/ark-tribe-found-not-guilty

Australia faces interesting times after close shave for the labour movement‏

Report from a UNISONActive reader in Sydney, Australia:
Australia finally has a Government following the decision by two of the three rural independents to support the Gillard Labor Government. The future stability of the Government will remain in question as it navigates an alliance with both the Greens and independents.

4 Independents hold balance of power in Australia‏

Report from a UNISONActive reader in Sydney, Australia:
The makeup of the next Australian Government remains uncertain following the recent Australian elections. With both major parties requiring the support of key independents in order to form a minority Government, both parties continue to negotiate to garner support. The situation has gone very quiet on the ground with both major parties locked in negotiations to form the next Government.

Australian General Election outcome on a knife edge‏

Report from a UNISONActive reader in Sydney, Australia: The election remains on a knife edge with both sides negotiating to form Government. Whilst the Greens picked up a significant swing towards them, this has not translated into seats in the Lower House where they have won their first seat. The Greens will however have the balance of power in the Australian Senate and have already confirmed their intention to reinforce workers and union rights wherever possible.