Sunday, June 28, 2009

Community Solidarity: Campaigning against the ABCC



[Info below from Community Solidarity]

To supporters of workers rights

This week there will be a workers breakfast and protest to support the rights of construction worker Ark Tribe and to protest the intention of the federal Labor government to keep the draconian ABCC powers. The event will coincide with an address by Deputy Prime Minister and Industrial Relations Minister Julia Gillard to a bosses' function at the Hyatt Regency.
Tell Gillard loud and clear: One law for all!
Thursday July 2, 7am
opposite the Hyatt Hotel, 99 Adelaide Terrace
To read more about the ongoing campaign against the ABCC powers and the case of Ark Tribe read the summary below or go to the website www.rightsonsite.org Community Solidarity will be organising actions here in Perth to coincide with a protest in Sydney outside the ALP National Conference on Friday July 21 and when Ark next fronts court in Adelaide on August 11.


From the RightsOnSite website:
Thank you for your support of Ark Tribe, a construction worker facing six months imprisonment - charged with failing to attend an interview with the ABCC.

As a result of your support and Ark's trial, construction workers and the unions that represent them have been headline news over the past week.

Despite this, Julia Gillard has introduced a bill in Parliament to replace the Australian Building and Construction Commission with a new Building Inspectorate, which will retain the coercive powers of the ABCC.

The powers that will be transfered to the Building Inspectorate:
- compel a worker to attend an interrogation or face fines and imprisonment
- mean construction workers will not have the same rights as all other workers

Your support for rights on site has made a difference. There have been some changes proposed to the bad laws.
But the coercive powers remain, and we will continue to campaign so there is one law for all workers.

Your support for Ark has been overwhelming, with nearly a thousand messages of support.

Watch the video of Ark's first day in court

Ark Tribe is a reminder of why there should be no coercive powers for construction workers.

Ark will be in court again on 11 August, and we'll be campaigning to make sure workers don't end up in court - just for standing up for their rights on site.

Dave Noonan and the Rights on Site team