Australia hit by mass labour protests
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-11-15 14:03

Hundreds of thousands of workers staged what unionists called the biggest protest in Australia's history against Prime Minister John Howard's proposed labour reforms.

The central business districts of major cities were brought to a halt by masses of chanting marchers accusing Howard's Liberal-National coalition of attacking fundamental rights and trying to crush the trade unions.

"What we see today is the largest gathering ever of workers across Australia," Unions New South Wales secretary John Robertson told a rally of more than 30,000 people in Sydney.

Demonstrators had the support of the premiers of Australia's six states, which are all governed by the opposition Labor Party, whose leader Kim Beazley predicted the reforms would bring down Howard's government.

Australian workers march through Swanston Street during a demonstration against the federal government's proposed industrial relations changes in Melbourne November 15, 2005. Some 100,000 people marched in state capitals during a national day of protest against the proposed workplace changes, local media said. [Reuters]

The proposed laws, which cut the power of unions in favour of individual workplace contracts, were passed by the lower house of parliament last week and go before the Senate later this month.

They are being promoted by Howard's conservative government as a means of creating jobs and boosting the economy, but critics say they will cut pay, rights to holidays, rest breaks, bonuses and allowances.

Beazley and Queensland state Premier Peter Beattie joined more than 15,000 protesters in the east coast city of Brisbane, one of 300 rallies nationwide which unionists say will draw a total of half-a-million protesters.

"This will bring the Howard government down unless they back off. But they probably won't and (these reforms) will take them out," Beazley told the crowd.

The Labor premiers have threatened court action against the legislation, and Beazley has promised to repeal the laws if Labor comes to power in the next election, due in 2007.

Howard, in power for nearly 10 years, was mocked in rallies in Australia's largest city, Sydney, with chants of "Hey hey ho ho, Johnny Howard's got to go" ringing through the streets.

In the second biggest city of Melbourne, police estimated that more than 150,000 people rallied, while 10,000 turned out in Adelaide and 20,000 were expected to march in Perth.

In an address broadcast live by satellite to rallies across the country, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Sharan Burrow said the reforms "will strip away what has taken over 100 years to build".

"Every union leader in Australia is ready to fight like we have never fought before," she said.

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke told the protest in Melbourne: "This is a fight which you cannot lose, you must not lose -- we must win it if Australia is to remain the country we think it is."

Hawke, Beazley and Labor premiers attacked the proposed shake-up as a further "Americanisation" of policy and destructive to Australia's proud claim of a "fair go" for all.

Australian workers rally in Federation Square before a march, during a demonstration against the federal government's proposed industrial relations changes in Melbourne November 15, 2005. [Reuters]

But Howard, who became Australia's most powerful leader in a generation when his coalition took control of the Senate in July, has pledged to push through his long-cherished reforms despite opinion polls showing they have hit his popularity.

Australian unions have already lost much of the power they once had, with only one in four full-time employees in a union, although nearly half of public sector workers are members.

But many of the marchers, who were also supported by major church leaders, said that while they were not union members, they were concerned about how the law reforms would affect their lives and those of their children.