Page 4 - ETU Journal Autumn 2017

MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY > TROY GRAY / ETU VICTORIA BRANCH
LIFE IS SHORT AND TI
It’s already been four years since I took over as the Secretary of the ETU, and 2016 was the biggest year the union has had in its Wproud 115-year history.
e started 2016 campaigning against CHAFTA, worked hard in the federal
election to defend our members’ living standards, followed it up with the largest Shop Stewards Conference on record and conducted our biggest contracting mass meeting ever seen, attended by thousands of members.
The second half of the year saw the union taking on one of the biggest multinational companies in the world, CUB, who make record profits year in and year out. The dispute had many twists and turns, and at the height of it, we called for a rally of support in the CBD for the CUB55, which was attended by thousands of workers and effectively shut down the city for two hours.
This dispute was the largest in the branch’s history and, on the eve of Christmas, resulted in one of the greatest victories, not only for ETU members but for workers all around the country.
I would like to recognise the tremendous support the CUB55 received from all members and workers across the country and give special thanks to all those who helped and chipped in with the $20 levy to achieve this fantastic outcome – it couldn’t have been done without you.
Rallying behind our members
This year is shaping up to be no different. We have just attended one of the largest rallies in recent history to oppose the new Building and Construction Code, which will affect the living standards and working rights of hundreds of thousands
of trades workers and electricians across the country. Combine this with
the recent Fair Work decision, which reduces penalty rates for some of the lowest paid workers in the country, and we all need to make a stand. While this decision might not affect electricians yet, it is the thin edge of the wedge and needs to be resisted. All of us have sons, daughters, friends or relatives who work in these low-paid jobs and who more than ever need the support of a strong union like the ETU.
Life isn’t all about politics, but when you can see the impact politics can have on our members’ living standards and rights, we do need to take a stand.
Fighting against the Building Code
The rally on 9 March saw a massive turnout and initiates the start of a campaign to remove
a government and restore our rights and hard-fought conditions. All members need to be aware
of this struggle. It is going to be increasingly hard to hold our living standards and conditions if we take an apathetic approach. We must
all come together to defend what we have achieved over the past 115 years.
The ABCC and Building Code have clearly been introduced to erode the rights of workers. In doing so, they are coming directly for your rights at work, as well as your rostered days off, set hours of work, public holidays and clauses that provide job security from being undercut and replaced
by easily exploited casual workers. The new Building Code makes no mention of protecting Australian
jobs or protecting apprentices and older workers, nor does it mandate for Australian procurement on major projects. It simply is an ideological code that in a time of record company profits and record low wage increases, not only is it not needed but will have the reverse effect in the industry and cause disputation and harm.
I would like to recognise the tremendous support the CUB55 received from all members and workers across the country.
4
THE ETU > AUTUMN 2017
www.facebook.com/etuvic
M
WE STAND TOGETHER ...
...AND WE WIN!