More than 1500 unionists walked off the job to rally on 1 May in Sydney.
The Electrical Trade Union (ETU) was out in force, making up the bulk of the rally, alongside members of the plumbers’ union. Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members also shut down Port Botany for four hours to join the march.
Other workers included a contingent of AMWU members from bus company Keolis Downer Northern Beaches, on strike for a wage rise.
Hundreds of rank-and-file CFMEU construction union members also took part.
But as the ETU’s NSW Secretary Allen Hicks told the crowd, “[The] ALP have put a person in charge of the CFMEU in NSW who is telling workers not to turn up to International Workers Day … he should hang his head in disgrace.”
Chris Christodolou, the NSW Administrator, sent a letter to all members saying that “the CFMEU is NOT authorising a stoppage” and that “there is nothing in your EBA [enterprise bargaining agreement] which allows you to stop work to attend an event on May Day in working hours.”
The Fair Work Ombudsman also encouraged bosses to dob in anyone who stopped work for May Day, threatening workers with pay deductions and prosecution.
CFMEU members were forced to use a day’s leave if they wanted to attend.
Since 2019, thousands of CFMEU members in Sydney have downed tools almost every year to rally for workers’ rights on 1 May. But this year the government-appointed administration banned it.
But as Hicks declared, “We’re never going to step away from our resolve and our determination to put the CFMEU back in the hands of its members.”
The rally also featured calls for workers to unite against our ruling class’s drive towards war, and heard from Bashir Sawalah of the General Union of Palestinian Workers, who appealed for further action by the union movement to break the Labor government’s complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.
The Administration is tightening the screws on the CFMEU to try and turn it into a tame-cat union.
Administration’s plans
Campaign group Your Union Your Choice has published leaked documents detailing the Administration’s “Strategic Plan” that aims to centralise control of the CFMEU through increasing the powers of the national office at the expense of state branches.
In a video on Instagram, sacked Queensland CFMEU Secretary Michael Ravbar rightly rubbishes the Strategic Plan as “centralisation by stealth”, and points to the collaboration of CFMEU National Secretary Zac Smith with the Administration.
“Zac Smith, handpicked by the Administrator, is pushing this so called ‘strategic plan’ that would nationalise and centralise total control of the CFMEU into the hands of the few at the top. That means taking power away from the branches, taking away state autonomy, and more importantly, removing the voice of rank-and-file members.”
The plan would transfer all media staff (apart from those in WA, which has refused to be involved) to the control of the National Office.
It would also create a new “Campaigns Department” and a “Research and Policy Department” as well as centralising delegates’ training nationally. This would make it easier for Administration to put an end to the CFMEU’s militancy and willingness to break anti-strike laws in defence of members’ wages and conditions.
“This [Strategic Plan] isn’t about improving the union. It’s about removing opposition. It’s about silencing dissent. And it’s about giving Zac Smith and the administrator unchecked power,” Your Union Your Choice say.
In response, Smith has taken full ownership of the restructure saying it is “my plan, not the Administrator’s” and is similar to one developed before Administration. Smith also claimed that, “I have stayed in the union for one reason—to work with others to get us out of Administration as soon as possible.”
But by serving under Administration he is agreeing to do the bidding of the Administrator.
The two remaining branch secretaries who survived Administration, WA Secretary Mike Buchan and Acting ACT Secretary Michael Hiscox, published their own letter rejecting Smith’s restructure and warning that an “almost identical restructure of the Forestry Division of the CFMEU [caused] disastrous consequences for members”.
CFMEU members should reject the Strategic Plan, Zac Smith’s collaboration and Administration in full.
But it’s wrong to put any hopes in the High Court challenge against Administration. Now the election is done a decision is expected soon.
Should the High Court rule against Administration, Labor will simply collaborate with the Liberals to pass more legislation to over-ride it, just as it did to introduce it in the first place.
There need to be nationwide stop work rallies called to protest when the High Court hands down its decision.
More strikes and a willingness to break the industrial laws are essential to defeating Administration.
By Luke Ottavi
