En Passant

Picket line workers at Grocon in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Pinder Trevor Source: HWT Image Library

Police on horse back this morning attacked building workers at a picket line at the Grocon Myer Emporium Melbourne site. Sky News showed one of the police thugs capsicum spraying a worker caught in the police attack; a non-threatening worker actually turning away from the police before being attacked by the protectors of profit. Here is a link to the Herald-Sun video of the capsicum spray attacks. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/jundreds-of-construction-workers-in-grocon-city-protest/story-e6frf7jo-1226459524869

Will the police thugs be investigated, let alone charged and convicted? If I were a betting man I’d put a fair amount of money about nothing happening to the violent things in blue who attacked peaceful workers.

The police were trying to escort scabs to work. The Labor Party’s laws make the picket ‘illegal’ and Grocon has a Supreme Court order to lift it.

Faced with thousands of workers and supporters gathered in Lonsdale Street the cops retreated. They will be back to try and break the picket, to defend profit and to smash the union.

The union wants elected union representatives on site. Grocon agreed to this recently but has now reneged.

Let me emphasise. These are Julia Gillard’s laws which allow, encourage and enforce this state brutality – court orders, police, capsicum spray, horses, and now possibly fines and jail.

Labor Party heavies Wayne Swan and Bill Shorten have condemned violence. Me too, but I will be more specific. Stop police violence against unionists. Remove police from picket lines. No cops, no violence.

The union, the CFMEU, may have no choice now but to escalate the action. Closing down building sites across Melbourne would be one option. Of course, such action is illegal under Julia Gillard’s laws and the union would be open to more fines and officials and members eventually would have to face the possibility of jail for striking.

This could present an opportunity to smash Labor’s penal powers and restrictions on the right to strike. If unions refuse to pay the fines and are threatened with further action – e.g. loss of union and personal property, jail and so forth, then a range of unions across the country could consider striking in defence of the right to strike.

The task at the moment is to support the building workers. If you can, get down to the picket line.

If they win the labour movement can begin to reassert itself after 30 years of class collaboration. Victory to the building workers.

Picket lines will be staffed this week from 5am to 4pm. All union supporters welcome to come and show solidarity. Touch one, touch all!

Readers might also like to read Bring back WorkChoices? It is still with us. The article includes a link to a Socialist Alternative article on the Grocon dispute.