Red Report Back - Week Ending 12/06/2022

Homelessness Services Still Under Attack

As another week passes, another revelation highlights the double standards of politicians and law enforcement in Australia. Talks between the Community Union Defence League, city council and police led nowhere as the state maintains its effort to financially punish volunteers for the crime of providing books, food and clothing to homeless people in Sydney.

Yet, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has seized the opportunity to jump in for a public relations photo opportunity, making more hollow promises to address the systematic campaign of police harassment against mobile voluntary services in Martin Place. The Premier was photographed down at Martin Place after a critical video and report of the situation went viral.

If the council offer more than hot air, we will work with them. However, like our comrades in Adelaide before us, we refuse to give in to harassment by state-sanctioned thugs. On this note, we are calling on people to stay tuned for actions in Sydney against this harassment. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, not just the rich. Serve the people. Defend the people.

Find out how you can get involved in your local CUDL branch today:

https://www.cudl.org.au/take-action

Internet Crackdown

Two recent events cemented Australia’s position as a “defamation heaven”. Firstly, the never-ending campaign of Nationals Party super-gronk John ‘Bruz’ Barilaro against the online pro-Labor warrior FriendlyJordies came to a shameful (yet unsurprising) head. Google has had to pay Barilaro $715,000 for hosting two videos posted by FriendlyJordies’ account. This has set a concerning precedent for online freedom of speech, as has another outcome this week.

 Right-winger, Avi Yemini successfully used the Australian legal system to dox the formerly anonymous pro-Labor Twitter account PRGuy17. In an outcome that highlights the collusion of big-business with the legal system that protects their interests, tech-giant Twitter has willingly given up the information of this user to Yemini’s legal team.

Twitter did not wait for a legal ruling requiring them to give up this information, nor did they wait for the defamatory claim to be proven in court. Rather, they handed over personal information after the barest push from Yemini and his legal team. This, coupled with the recent push by Peter Dutton to attack anyone who slanders politicians, is setting a frightening precedent that threatens the already minimal rights that Australians have to free speech and online anonymity.

Communists hold no illusions about “free” speech under the dictatorship of capital, but this doesn’t mean the class enemy should be given a free kick. We oppose all attempts by the state, on behalf of the capitalist class, to shut down avenues for the working class to spread the message of liberation. If even Labor hacks aren’t safe anymore, how will the legal system and big tech act when it’s workers calling out capitalism?

Crumbs Offered to Public Sector Workers

The scrap the cap campaign has called victory in New South Wales. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced that salary cap has been lifted. In a gesture of generosity, he has offered public sector workers a rise from 2.5%, to 3%, and MAYBE if they’re lucky, 3.5% in two years. He has also given workers a real cherry on top with a $3000 bonus for health staff, which Victoria has also taken on board.

Now, if the sarcasm above wasn’t obvious, let me be blunt about what these gestures are: they an insult to these workers. These are just crumbs that are offered by the government in response to the strikes and industrial action by workers and their unions over the last year. These ‘increases’ are in reality a loss, as inflation continues to soar above 5% and the real-wages of workers continues to decline. Unions attempting to spin this as a victory are conning their members. Sure, it’s better than nothing – but not by much.

Meanwhile, public sector unions in Queensland are gearing up to take action over the pay caps that remain in place. Teachers and nurses are entering bargaining as the Palaszczuk Government prepares to deliver its budget on June 21. Let us hope that the unions in the north protect their members’ interests, and don’t roll over to weak, half-assed offers. To those who have lost their way, we say this – Dare to Struggle.

Canberra Court Condemns Construction Company

In Canberra last week, the construction company Better Building Holdings was fined $450,000 for causing the death of a worker in February 2020. Thomas Magi, may he rest in power, died at the age of 60 after falling more than six metres at a residential construction site due to health and safety risks that the company refused to address.

Once again, it has taken the death of a worker to highlight the crisis of construction deaths and unsafe working conditions for construction workers. But from this sadness is highlighted the need to organise to hold the bosses accountable. Whether Labor or Liberal, a federal government that won’t address these issues is no friend of workers. We must organise in our unions and workplaces to protect the health and safety of all workers. One death at work is one too many. We say rest in power Thomas Magi. Touch one, touch all.

Union Member with Sharp Eye Wins Workers Thousands

A keen Australian Services Union delegate and member at Central Highlands Water came across an important discovery the other week. While reviewing their enterprise agreement, the delegate noticed that Central Highlands Water had for years not been paying a maintenance allowance to workers.

With pressure from the union, the employer admitted to workers that they had not been paying workers what they were guaranteed in their agreement. As a result, eligible workers will receive thousands of dollars in back pay.

The saga highlights a few things. Workers have the power to push their unions on issues they identify in their workplace, and need to hold their union accountable to take action. When they do, they win for all workers. Secondly, it shows the importance of workers being educated on what their rights and entitlements are in the workplace. In modern day Australia, we are offered crumbs. While we organise for fundamental political change, we must still secure every win possible for workers that we can in the meantime. Issues like this are how we show people that unions have a purpose. We must do this not just in words, but through action.