The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.24           June 17, 1996 
 
 
Public Workers Protest Cutbacks In New Zealand  

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand - Five hundred public sector workers and their supporters rallied here May 21, demanding better pay and adequate government funding for social services. The rally was part of a national day of action called by the Public Service Association (PSA). Another 300 rallied in Hamilton, while a demonstration outside Parliament in Wellington drew 2,000.

The largest contingents on all the rallies were workers from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and from the Courts section of the Justice Department, both of which have organized repeated protest actions in recent weeks. Many high school teachers and other educational staff joined in too.

IRD workers made up the largest of several organized contingents from various government offices that marched into the Wellington rally. Most IRD workers have not had a cost-of- living increase since 1990, and have been outraged by the government's offer of a 2.5 percent raise.

Leaflets produced by the Public Service Association point out that productivity has jumped 15 percent in the state sector since 1990, despite a 3 percent decline in jobs, while a six- year pay freeze has left workers with a 11.5 percent pay cut in real terms. Services to the public are being placed at risk, it said, citing hospital waiting lists for surgery that have risen 50 percent in three years. These protests follow a month-long campaign of go-slows, strikes and walkouts by thousands of workers across several government departments against reduced funding of the public service, one of the areas hardest hit by government restructuring.

Speaking to the Hamilton rally, a local delegate for the PSA explained the impact of years of government cutbacks. "RSI [repetition strain injury] has gone through the roof," he said citing a six-fold increase in such cases in the past nine months.

The previous day, May 20, more than 4,000 tax workers held a 24-hour nationwide strike. They were joined by 900 court workers who had struck for 24 hours after several workers were suspended for imposing bans on answering telephones.

Some 60 Auckland high school teachers staged a walkout and picketed Ministry of Education offices on May 20. This follows a nationwide one-day strike March 6 by high school teachers in support of a pay rise, as well as strikes by technical institute teachers over recent weeks.

Garment workers fight firings for organizing
MONTREAL - Nineteen workers fired for trying to organize a union at Peerless, the largest suit manufacturer in Canada, held a press conference May 28. Peerless employs 2,000 workers in the garment factory. The workers also leafleted shoppers at the Eaton's and Bay department stores, which are major customers of Peerless.

In addition to the fired workers, several workers have been suspended. The workers, who are trying to bring the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees into the factory, have filed more than 30 complaints for discrimination and sexual harassment. Over 70 percent of the workers are women and the vast majority are recent immigrants.

"I have been informed that on Friday, May 10, you distributed pamphlets to employees and members of the public outside the Peerless factory on Pie IX in Montreal," said a letter management sent to one of the workers. "Your attitude could be construed as a serious breach of your duty and loyalty to your employer and, under the circumstance, an inquiry will have to made as to your actions on said date. We will inform you of its conclusions shortly. Until then you are suspended without pay until a final decision is made."

The unionization drive has received support of over fifty organizations including the Quebec Women's Federation, the Montreal Labor Council, the Federation of Bangladeshi Associations of North America, the Association of Haitian Taxi drivers, the Latin-American Association of Cotes-des-Neiges and others. These groups have formed the Committee for Justice at Peerless. The workers plan more activity on June 4 to broaden their support.

Contributions can be sent to the Peerless Workers Solidarity Fund, c/o Montreal Joint board, UNITE, 20 Ave. Maissoneuve ouest, Montreal H2X 1Z3. For more information call the Center for Peerless Workers at 514-728-8757.

300 commemorate those killed in Australia mines
CESSNOCK, Australia - More than 300 people - representatives of Northern District lodges of the United Mineworkers Division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), other working coal miners, retired miners, relatives and other unionists - gathered here May 26 to commemorate 1,532 workers killed since 1847 in mine accidents in this district.

The recently erected brass panels of the Memorial Wall list the name, age, and pit of each miner in chronological order. Just a few days before the commemoration, two miners were seriously injured in a gas explosion at the Chain Valley mine. Eleven miners have been killed in the district since 1990.

"The employers say they can't afford safety because of the price of coal," said Northern District secretary Ron Land. "The real price of coal is behind me on this wall."

Two representatives of 30 UMW members on strike since August 1995 at CRA's Vickery open-cut mine attended.

Bill James, whose father's name is on the wall, described how the lodge's members are actively reaching out for solidarity. James recently spent a week in the Wollongong area as a guest of the Southern District, meeting with rank-and-file miners during work hours to explain the issues behind the strike. The workers are fighting CRA's demands for forced 12 1/2-hour shifts and an end to partial union control over hiring.

Derek Lucas, secretary of the Vickery lodge, described their May 22 bus trip to Melbourne with a couple of dozen miners working at other CRA mines. They picketed the annual CRA shareholders' meeting with construction workers and others.

Messages of solidarity can be sent c/o Derek Lucas, Vickery Lodge Secretary, United Mineworkers, CFMEU, 6 McAndrew St., Gunnedah, NSW, Australia 2380; tel./fax: (067) 420 821.

Nathan Simms in Christchurch and Annalucia Vermont in Auckland; Joe Young in Montreal; and Doug Cooper in Sydney contributed to this column.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home